old guard

noun

variants or less commonly Old Guard

1

: the conservative and especially older members of an organization (such as a political party)

2

: a group of established prestige and influence

compare new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Moving Monk, a 27-year-old guard in his prime, simply to make room for Westbrook would be a questionable move for Sacramento. —Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Traditionally, old guard banks have held enormous influence in D.C., spawning nicknames like Government Sachs. —Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025

Rice, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound, 22-year-old guard from Henderson, North Carolina, has three years of collegiate eligibility remaining. —Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025

Takeaway The future is bright for women in the cannabis industry and anyone who is welcoming and celebrates consumers beyond the homogeneous old guard. —Lindsey Bartlett, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for old guard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard