elder stateswoman

American  

noun

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

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

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Example Sentences

At 36, she has completed the transition from wunderkind to elder stateswoman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2025

More than a decade and a half after her first mixtape, Minaj, 41, is an elder stateswoman: still a cantankerous figure in the genre, and still a sometime hitmaker.

From New York Times • Dec. 11, 2023

At her final World Cup, Rapinoe was the elder stateswoman on a team that had 14 players appearing for the first time in the tournament.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2023

The Grammys enlisted pop music's elder stateswoman to introduce Sam Smith, a nonbinary performer, and Kim Petras, a trans woman, on the occasion of their history-making Grammy win for their chart-topping duet "Unholy."

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2023

There’s something moving about seeing someone who has been a beloved elder stateswoman of the entertainment industry for decades back when she was a fresh-faced youngster.

From Slate • Jan. 12, 2019