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

see also:

new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 30-year-old guard went further in a separate reply to Pelicans podcast ProPelsTalk, which posted a clip of Murray throwing a turnover intended for teammate Saddiq Bey. — Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2026

Dissanayake’s victory in the presidential election that year was seen as a rejection of the political old guard that was blamed for an unprecedented economic crisis following decades of mismanagement and corruption. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

The Chicano values of the younger generation aren’t in alignment with the political orientation of the pious old guard. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026

On Sunday, the Thunder agreed to a five-year, $139 million extension with 22-year-old guard Cason Wallace. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026

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