the imperial guard created in 1804 by Napoleon: it made the last French charge at Waterloo.
(in the U.S.) the conservative element of any political party, especially the Republican Party.
(usually lowercase) the influential, established, more conservative members of any body, group, movement, etc..
the old guard of New York society.
a group that works for a long-established or old-fashioned cause or principle
the conservative element in a political party or other group
Translation of French Vieille Garde
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Netflix proved with "The Old Guard" they can make a decent Europudding action film.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2023
And when I was in training, I was recruited to serve in the Old Guard ceremonial unit across the river in Fort Myer, Va. That was based on a number of factors.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 3, 2023
The figures gather inside like a collection of strangers from different worlds with little in common, united only in their solidarity against the Old Guard.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2022
On July 2, 1937, the Old Guard took up sentinel duty, manning around-the-clock watch that continues to this day.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 9, 2021
Whence were the men of the Old Guard?
From Songs of the Prairie by Stead, Robert J. C.
It's a big moment: a grand reminder that the old guard has given way to the new.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
This has happened over and over again when a new generation steps up with a different energy and new ideas: the old guard always freaks out.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Juan Antonio Rodriguez, a 71-year-old colonel in the interior ministry, mourned the loss of one of the last members of Cuba's old guard.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Raman and Pratt are right in deeming Bass the old guard of a beat-up city — but the old guard didn’t get there without knowing how to win.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
He was an even-tempered, soft-spoken, and mature grandmaster who represented the old guard, and over a lifetime of tournament warfare he’d played many of the game’s legendary figures.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
