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.

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elder statesman British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of elder statesman

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elder statesman

“Ridiculous” is C.K.’s way of letting the world know, with put-on humility, that when you brush aside his Teflon-coated fame and elder statesman standing, the 58-year-old star is really just old and exhausted.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

But Nvidia is now in the odd position of having to play elder statesman, if only to temper some of the wilder views about AI.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

After his presidential runs, Jackson later positioned himself as an elder statesman within the Democratic Party.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

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 ● Nov. 13, 2025

It was used in reference to some nice old poopy elder statesman who’d made a fortune in the stock market and then gone to Washington to be an adviser to President Roosevelt.

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger