Examples Word Origin
a member of a municipal legislative body, especially of a municipal council. (in England) one of the members, chosen by the elected councilors, in a borough or county council. Early English History a chief. (later) the chief magistrate of a county or group of counties. Northern U.S. Slang a pot belly. Show More
Origin of alderman before 900; Middle English; Old English (
e)aldormann, equivalent to
ealdor chief, patriarch (
eald old +
-or noun suffix) +
mann man1 Related forms al·der·man·cy , al·der·man·ship , noun al·der·man·ic [awl-der-man -ik] /ˌɔl dərˈmæn ɪk/ adjective un·der·al·der·man , noun, plural un·der·al·der·men. Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for alderman Contemporary Examples of alderman Antonio French, a citizen journalist and alderman of the 21st ward in St. Louis, was also detained.
A New York alderman once said Petrosino “knocked out more teeth than a dentist.”
Dirk Johnson on the real winners—including an alderman rooting for a weak mayor.
Nobody, that is, except the lawyer who brought the case, Burt Odelson—and, according to whispers at City Hall, Alderman Burke.
Rick Munoz, alderman of the 22nd Ward and an active Latino Caucus member, has called Emanuel a "political bully."
Historical Examples of alderman “Thou art a good-hearted lad,” said the alderman with a hand on his shoulder.
The alderman saw no reason to repent his decision, hastily as it had been made.
Now, when the Alderman saw that strange round thing at his threshold he was afraid.
This hand was given to Alderman , who shot him, as his share of the spoil.
An alderman present observed, "Then all the fat would be in the fire."
British Dictionary definitions for alderman (in England and Wales until 1974) one of the senior members of a local council, elected by other councillors (in the US, Canada, Australia, etc) a member of the governing body of a municipality history a variant spelling of ealdorman Show More
Abbreviations (for senses 1, 2): Ald , Aldm
Derived Forms aldermanic (ˌɔːldəˈmænɪk ), adjective aldermanry , noun aldermanship , noun Word Origin for alderman Old English aldormann, from ealdor chief (comparative of eald old ) + mann man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for alderman n. Old English aldormonn (Mercian), ealdormann (West Saxon) "ruler, prince, chief; chief officer of a shire," from aldor, ealder "patriarch" (comparative of ald "old;" see old ) + monn, mann "man" (see man (n.)). A relic of the days when the elders were automatically in charge of the clan or tribe, but already in Old English used for king's viceroys, regardless of age. The word yielded in Old English to eorl , and after the Norman Conquest to count (n.). Meaning "headman of a guild" (early 12c.) passed to "magistrate of a city" (c.1200) as the guilds became identified with municipal government.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
alderman [(awl -duhr-muhn)]
A member of a city council. Aldermen usually represent city districts, called wards, and work with the mayor to run the city government. Jockeying among aldermen for political influence is often associated with machine politics .
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
