as in noblemen
a man of high birth or social position
only a Spanish grandee—and no one of lesser rank—can address comments to the king and queen of Spain
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Recent Examples of grandees
The grandees of the Democratic Party may want to move on.
—
Keith Naughton, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Suffice it to say, with credentials such as this, a charivari of fashion-week regulars, media, film and musical grandees and not a few New York and London tatterdemalions showed for the September 12 bacchanal on Church Street.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, the concept has been perverted to mean higher-ed grandees' exclusive right to determine who participates in scholarly life.
—Ilya Shapiro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Keith Naughton, The Washington Examiner, 14 Mar. 2026
Suffice it to say, with credentials such as this, a charivari of fashion-week regulars, media, film and musical grandees and not a few New York and London tatterdemalions showed for the September 12 bacchanal on Church Street.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, the concept has been perverted to mean higher-ed grandees' exclusive right to determine who participates in scholarly life.
—Ilya Shapiro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandees
Noun
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The upper chamber of the British Parliament was composed of noblemen who inherited their seats for most of its history.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
12 Mar. 2026
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For most of its 700-year history, its membership was composed of noblemen — almost never women — who inherited their seats, alongside a smattering of bishops.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Families frolicking in this Holidome surely had no idea about the mission of these nine tall gentlemen who trouped in and out.—
Bill Hancock,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
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And so with that throat clearing out of the way, ladies and gentlemen Starbucks has just become one of the Best Stocks in the Market.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandees. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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