SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

elder statesman

noun

Definition of elder statesman

:an eminent senior member of a group or organization; especially :a retired statesman who unofficially advises current leaders

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Examples of elder statesman in a Sentence

an elder statesman of baseball coaches
the elder statesman of the White House correspondents is finally retiring after nearly a half century of service

First Known Use of elder statesman

1904

elder statesman Synonyms

Synonyms

doyen, elder, dean, éminence grise, nestor, senior

Antonyms

baby, junior

Related Words

better, superior; old hand, old-timer, vet, veteran

Near Antonyms

doyenne; inferior, subordinate, underling; beginner, colt, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, novice, recruit, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro

ELDER STATESMAN Defined for English Language Learners

elder statesman

noun

Definition of elder statesman for English Language Learners

: a retired government leader who gives advice to current leaders
: a respected man who has been a member of a group or organization for a long time

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for elder statesman

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Examples: elder statesman in a Sentence