elder statesman

noun

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

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then there is the upstart turned elder statesman of the group, A24. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025 By the mid-2010s, Combs was fully reveling in his role as an elder statesman of rap. Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025 Bottom line: Larry Fink is an elder statesman of sorts whose influence over other firms’ strategies is hard to overstate. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025 His revelations underscore the challenges that an association of Caribbean elder statesmen known as the Eminent Persons Group, formed to help Haiti, has been facing. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elder statesman

Word History

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of elder statesman was in 1904

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Cite this Entry

“Elder statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elder%20statesman. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

elder statesman

noun
: a respected older member of a group or organization
especially : a retired statesman who gives advice to current leaders
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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