statesman
Americannoun
plural
statesmen-
a person who is experienced in the art of government or versed in the administration of government affairs.
-
a person who exhibits great wisdom and ability in directing the affairs of a government or in dealing with important public issues.
noun
-
a political leader whose wisdom, integrity, etc, win great respect
-
a person active and influential in the formulation of high government policy, such as a cabinet member
-
a politician
Related Words
See politician.
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
- statesman-like adjective
- statesmanlike adjective
- statesmanly adjective
- statesmanship noun
- stateswoman noun
- superstatesman noun
- unstatesmanlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of statesman
First recorded in 1585–95; state + 's 1 + -man, modeled on steersman; compare the phrase ship of state
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.
That he’d become something, in other words, resembling a statesman.
From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026
Dimon is seen as a de facto statesman for the financial industry and had carefully maintained ties with President Trump since his return to the White House.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 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
"The Congolese statesman said that President Joao Lourenco put forward "some proposals" which he found "very interesting" and which, in terms of the search for peace in his country, could "contribute significantly"," the statement said.
From Barron's • Jan. 5, 2026
She was also an advocate for “free love,” a blackmailer, an accused bigamist, possibly a prostitute, and a spiritualist who claimed she channeled the spirit of Demosthenes, a statesman from ancient Greece.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
