grandee
Americannoun
noun
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a Spanish or Portuguese prince or nobleman of the highest rank
-
a man of great rank or eminence
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grandee
1590–1600; < Spanish, Portuguese grande, with ending assimilated to -ee
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those files exposed a friendship between the convicted sex offender and Peter Mandelson, a Labour Party grandee and Mr. Starmer’s choice for ambassador to Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
Starmer has apologized for hiring the Labour Party grandee, and Mandelson has quit the House of Lords—the British Parliament’s upper chamber—amid a police investigation into whether he shared market-sensitive information with the financier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
One grandee tells me: "We need to regain our senses and remember we were totally thrashed last summer and have not yet been forgiven. More shenanigans won't help."
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2025
The Labour grandee, who served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the Lords, was considered to be one of the frontrunners for the position.
From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2024
He dressed impeccably and had the manners of a grandee.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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