Definitions

elder statesman

NOUN

influential person

Synonyms

WEAK

elder important person mentor national leader starets wise old man

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Letterman is enjoying his elder statesman status with an interview show on Netflix, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction,” that he makes on his own schedule.

From Salon • May 21, 2026

But Nvidia is now in the odd position of having to play elder statesman, if only to temper some of the wilder views about AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

After his presidential runs, Jackson later positioned himself as an elder statesman within the Democratic Party.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

Howard Wilkinson, now 82 and a long-time elder statesman of the game, was the last Englishman to lift the title with Leeds United in 1991-92, but in the league's previous guise as the First Division.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

It was used in reference to some nice old poopy elder statesman who’d made a fortune in the stock market and then gone to Washington to be an adviser to President Roosevelt.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger