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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Recent Examples of elder statesman
The tour, which paired pop-punk’s elder statesmen with its ascendant newcomers, saw Blink-182 closing each night, despite Green Day being the band Hoppus idolized growing up.
—
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 20 May 2025
Hart was an elder statesman and hated practicing in college.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 8 May 2025
Before becoming the beloved elder statesman of the former presidents club in 1980, Jimmy Carter earned the ire of his successors for his outspokenness.
—Peter Kastor, The Conversation, 8 May 2025
There has to be one elder statesman someone such as Tyreek Hill can come to about his impending divorce, or a starter can turn to about how to handle a potential demotion, or being replaced by a young player.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder statesman
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 20 May 2025
Hart was an elder statesman and hated practicing in college.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 8 May 2025
Before becoming the beloved elder statesman of the former presidents club in 1980, Jimmy Carter earned the ire of his successors for his outspokenness.
—Peter Kastor, The Conversation, 8 May 2025
There has to be one elder statesman someone such as Tyreek Hill can come to about his impending divorce, or a starter can turn to about how to handle a potential demotion, or being replaced by a young player.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder statesman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder statesman
Noun
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The argument that Trump has violated the 10th Amendment is a clever subversion of a line of thinking that has traditionally been backed by conservative judges, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
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Pesticides are unique among chemicals, though, says Melissa Perry, an environmental epidemiologist and dean of George Mason’s College of Public Health.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
5 June 2025
Noun
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These cranes are known for their resilience and strong familial bonds, often migrating in flocks that include young birds guided by their experienced elders.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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Most prominently, after a shocking murder devastates Jackson, the town elders convene a community-wide meeting to debate whether or not to dispatch a team to avenge his death.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Twenty-two a day has been a call-to-action statistic, although the most recent data from the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (using 2022 numbers) puts it at 17.6 veterans committing suicide per day, which is significantly higher than among non-veteran adults.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
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But the past couple of years have seen the team replace veterans with younger alternatives who offer greater positional versatility.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elder statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder%20statesman. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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