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
Then there is the upstart turned elder statesman of the group, A24.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
By the mid-2010s, Combs was fully reveling in his role as an elder statesman of rap.
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
Bottom line: Larry Fink is an elder statesman of sorts whose influence over other firms’ strategies is hard to overstate.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
His revelations underscore the challenges that an association of Caribbean elder statesmen known as the Eminent Persons Group, formed to help Haiti, has been facing.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder statesman
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
By the mid-2010s, Combs was fully reveling in his role as an elder statesman of rap.
—Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 12 May 2025
Bottom line: Larry Fink is an elder statesman of sorts whose influence over other firms’ strategies is hard to overstate.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
His revelations underscore the challenges that an association of Caribbean elder statesmen known as the Eminent Persons Group, formed to help Haiti, has been facing.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for elder statesman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder statesman
Noun
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He’s been a ubiquitous character actor ever since, from the scene-stealing game show host in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000) to the college dean in The House Bunny (2008).—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
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Nance is also exploring volunteer opportunities with Legal Aid of Arkansas after her appointment as dean ends.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
21 July 2025
Noun
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Johnny and Ben are usually depicted as bickering surrogate brothers, the hotheaded youngster and the curmudgeonly elder; Susan is a pragmatic force, with Reed often lost in his own world.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
25 July 2025
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But such victories will likely reassure party elders resistant to change, thereby leaving in place the same party that fought and lost the 2024 election, complete with its attachment to Israel and military spending.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Noun
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While his leash might be short, the veteran has the support of his coaching staff and organization as the starter for the time being.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
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Multiple teams have expressed interest in the Royals’ top veterans.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elder statesman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder%20statesman. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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