elder statesman

American  

noun

1. an influential citizen, often a retired high official, whose advice is sought by government leaders.

2. any influential member of a company, group, etc., whose advice is respected.

3. Japanese History.  any of the political leaders who retired from official office but continued to exert a strong influence in the government and who controlled the emperor's privy council, especially in the period 1898–1914.

---

elder statesman British  

noun

1. an old, experienced, and eminent person, esp a politician, whose advice is often sought

---

Etymology

Origin of elder statesman

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

By the end of his run there, Kupp was a seasoned elder statesman, still contributing but also helping younger players fine-tune their game.

From Los Angeles Times

Sir John Major is now the elder statesman among them.

From BBC

Gretzky had scored at a devastating clip for an absurdly long time—20 NHL seasons that saw him turn from a wiry 18-year-old into the league’s elder statesman.

From The Wall Street Journal

Young from two feet closer, drained his and the youngest man on the US team had beaten Europe's elder statesman. 12-6.

From BBC

The question now is whether he, as one of the country’s elder statesmen, will boldly stand up in defense of democracy, or let himself be symbolically pilloried — or worse.

From Salon