standard-bearer

noun

stan·​dard-bear·​er ˈstan-dərd-ˌber-ər 

1

: one who bears a standard or banner

2

: one that leads an organization, movement, or party

a standard-bearer for political reform

Examples of standard-bearer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Garth Brooks, Zach Top and Riley Green will headline 2027’s Stagecoach country music festival, organizers announced Monday, bringing together one of the genre’s veteran standard-bearers with two of Nashville’s ascendant stars. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

For five years, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev were the standard-bearers for the meat inside of the sandwich that men’s tennis had become for a generation of players born in the 1990s. — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Holotype specimens serve as a main standard-bearer and reference point for the physical characteristics of a species, so that scientists can compare and contrast them to see if a specimen belongs to one species or another. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

For 16 years, Hungary's Viktor Orbán was the standard-bearer of the far right in Europe and an inspiration for populists worldwide. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for standard-bearer

• bearer
• carer
• error
• fairer
• ferrer
• rarer
• sharer
• terror
• wearer
• cupbearer
• declarer
• preparer

Kids Definition

standard-bearer

noun

stan·​dard-bear·​er

ˈstan-dərd-ˌbar-ər, 

-ˌber-

1

: one who bears a standard or banner

2

: the leader of an organization or movement