alderman

American  

[awl-der-muhn] / ˈɔl dər mən /

noun

plural

aldermen

1. a member of a municipal legislative body, especially of a municipal council.

2. (in England) one of the members, chosen by the elected councilors, in a borough or county council.

3. Early English History.

   1. a chief.

   2. (later) the chief magistrate of a county or group of counties.

4. Northern U.S. Slang. a pot belly.

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alderman British  

/ ˌɔːldəˈmænɪk, ˈɔːldəmən /

noun

1. (in England and Wales until 1974) one of the senior members of a local council, elected by other councillors

2. (in the US, Canada, Australia, etc) a member of the governing body of a municipality

3. history a variant spelling of ealdorman

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alderman Cultural  

1. 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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Gender

Is alderman gender-neutral? See -man.

Other Word Forms

• aldermancy noun
• aldermanic adjective
• aldermanry noun
• aldermanship noun
• underalderman noun

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

But they held government-related positions, such as a Wisconsin alderman who resigned after he was identified as a member.

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2025

“Chicagoans didn’t trust the city administration to spend the money that they would get from the tax,” said Dick Simpson, a retired University of Illinois, Chicago, professor of political science and a former alderman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

Michael Rodriguez, a Chicago city councilman and the neighborhood’s alderman, said 85% of the population is of Mexican descent.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025

Many of my neighbors work closely with each other and the alderman on hyperlocal and citywide political endeavors.

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2024

A precinct captain, an alderman, a lawyer, or a United States representative, probably.

From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones