statesman

noun

states·​man ˈstāts-mən How to pronounce statesman (audio)
1
: one versed in the principles or art of government
especially : one actively engaged in conducting the business of a government or in shaping its policies
2
: a wise, skillful, and respected political leader
statesmanlike adjective
statesmanly adjective
statesmanship noun

Examples of statesman in a Sentence

He was a soldier and statesman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the nineteenth century, inheritors of las Casas’s legacy—Grandin names, among others, Bolívar and the Chilean statesman Francisco Bilbao—supported human equality, the abolition of slavery, and the sovereignty of individuals and states. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025 In the coming weeks, Zelensky will keep making that case to Trump and Vance, appealing not to their narrow political interests but to their principles as statesmen and human beings. Simon Shuster, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025 In practice, the elder statesmen need to convince young people that learning on demand also applies to learning the successful tenets of leadership before ever becoming a leader. John Rau, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 Representatives of this nonexistent country have given statements at U.N. events and posed for photos with global statesmen, American congressmen and the mayor of Newark. Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for statesman

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of statesman was in 1592

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/statesman. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

statesman

noun
states·​man ˈstāt-smən How to pronounce statesman (audio)
: a person engaged in fixing the policies and conducting the affairs of a government
especially : one having unusual wisdom and skill in such matters
statesmanlike adjective
statesmanly adjective
statesmanship noun

More from Merriam-Webster on statesman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!