alderman

[ awl-der-muhn ]

/ ˈɔl dər mən /

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noun, plural al·der·men.

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.

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Origin of alderman

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English (e)aldormann, equivalent to ealdor “chief, patriarch” (eald old + -or noun suffix) + mann man

usage note for alderman

Is alderman gender-neutral? See -man.

OTHER WORDS FROM alderman

al·der·man·cy, al·der·man·ship, nounal·der·man·ic

[awl-der-man-ik], /ˌɔl dərˈmæn ɪk/, adjectiveun·der·al·der·man, noun, plural un·der·al·der·men.

Words nearby alderman

al dente, alder, alder buckthorn, alderfly, alder flycatcher, alderman, aldermanry, Aldermaston, Alderney, alderperson, Aldershot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alderman in a sentence

Community activists were able to resist these efforts through the early 1990s, but by the 2000s, political leaders, including the community’s alderman, invited pricey new development into the neighborhood, paving the way for rapid change.
The Stages of Gentrification, as Told by Restaurant Openings|Vince Dixon|September 30, 2020|Eater
Rather, their sole purpose was to convey information regarding the City’s pandemic response to help the aldermen continue to serve effectively in the field as community-based first responders.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica
In rejecting the argument, the PAC offered Lightfoot and the city’s lawyers — and maybe certain aldermen as well — a reminder that the City Council is, in fact, Chicago’s legislative branch.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica
The discussions sometimes went on for more than an hour, with the mayor and other top city officials taking questions and suggestions from aldermen on matters ranging from police strategies to wellness checks for seniors.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica

Even aldermen have noted — and in some cases boasted — that they saw their primary responsibilities as delivering services in their wards, leaving much of the legislative process in the hands of the executive branch.
When Is a Meeting Not a Meeting and a Lawmaker Not a Lawmaker? When It’s Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago.|by Mick Dumke|September 24, 2020|ProPublica
Antonio French, a citizen journalist and alderman of the 21st ward in St. Louis, was also detained.
Embarrassment, Fear, and Anger: Ferguson's Emotional Whispers|Melissa Leon|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A New York alderman once said Petrosino “knocked out more teeth than a dentist.”
Who Really Murdered Joe Petrosino?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Dirk Johnson on the real winners—including an alderman rooting for a weak mayor.
Rahm's Pain, Whose Gain?|Dirk Johnson|January 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Nobody, that is, except the lawyer who brought the case, Burt Odelson—and, according to whispers at City Hall, Alderman Burke.
Rahm's Pain, Whose Gain?|Dirk Johnson|January 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is a new day in Chicago, as one strutting alderman put it.
Has Daley Lost His Clout?|Dirk Johnson|October 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
This was that Alderman Henry Smith whose tomb and effigy are so conspicuous in the parish church.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
They lolled about the fire and ate, till even slim Henry Burns said he felt like an alderman.
The Rival Campers|Ruel Perley Smith
The town was divided into five wards, each represented by an alderman, the aldermen alone being eligible for the mayoralty.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
"We'll talk of this matter, sir," says Mr. Shum, looking as high and mighty as an alderman.
Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray
He was a very Alderman in embryo, if there are such things as coloured Aldermen.
Mystic London:|Charles Maurice Davies

British Dictionary definitions for alderman

alderman

/ (ˈɔːldəmən) /

noun plural -men

(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

Abbreviations (for senses 1, 2): Ald, Aldm

Derived forms of alderman

aldermanic (ˌɔːldəˈmænɪk), adjectivealdermanry, nounaldermanship, 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for alderman

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.