as in dean
the senior member of a group
the elder statesman of the White House correspondents is finally retiring after nearly a half century of service
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elder statesman
Carter’s image as a kindly elder statesman, friend to world Jewry and bulwark of Israel’s security took an immediate beating.
—
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Cash actually makes an appearance in A Complete Unknown, more as a hell-raising elder statesman, portrayed this time by Boyd Holbrook (who worked with Mangold on Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny).
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
Ryan Pressly’s back One of the Astros’ elder statesmen will be back for another season.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
For his part, Peres had finally achieved high office on his own merit, serving as Israel’s elder statesman.
—Brent E. Sasley, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2016
See all Example Sentences for elder statesman 
Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Cash actually makes an appearance in A Complete Unknown, more as a hell-raising elder statesman, portrayed this time by Boyd Holbrook (who worked with Mangold on Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny).
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
Ryan Pressly’s back One of the Astros’ elder statesmen will be back for another season.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
For his part, Peres had finally achieved high office on his own merit, serving as Israel’s elder statesman.
—Brent E. Sasley, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2016
See all Example Sentences for elder statesman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder statesman
Noun
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The other two finalists in the presidential search are Michael Hartline, the dean of the College of Business at Florida State University, and John Volin, executive vice president and provost at the University of Maine.—
Jessica Abramsky,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2025
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In the movie, Cardinal Lawrence, the beleaguered dean of the College of Cardinals, is tasked with keeping all the melodrama in check.—
Michael Schulman,
The New Yorker,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But in the seven days depicted here, the students took charge, teaching their elders — and anyone who would listen — not to underestimate them.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2025
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While the study shows that younger generations are not necessarily more progressive on gender identity than their elders, shifting societal attitudes and continued debates may influence these views over time.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This time, the focus is on Carl Edwards, an athlete known for his unique victory celebrations and impressive career stats; Ricky Rudd, an 'Iron Man' of racing with an incredible number of consecutive starts; and Ralph Moody, a WWII veteran who made his name as both a driver and team owner.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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The Tigers added a veteran to their pitching staff, signing Alex Cobb to a one-year, $15 million contract on Dec. 10.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near elder statesman
Cite this Entry
“Elder statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder%20statesman. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.
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