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.

He stayed on as Clinton's chief adviser after he left office in 2000 and helped him transition from president into a jet-setting elder statesman.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 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

Sir John Major is now the elder statesman among them.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

And in an impromptu pregame speech as the team’s elder statesman, Kershaw imparted the most important lesson he’s learned from his 11 All-Star Games.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

I saw my role as am elder statesman who might help them move on to the more inclusive ideas of the Congress Movement.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela