standard-bearer
Americannoun
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an officer or soldier of an army or military unit who bears a standard.
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a conspicuous leader of a movement, political party, or the like.
noun
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an officer or man who carries a standard
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a leader of a cause or party
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of standard-bearer
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
Explanation
A person who heads up a particular movement or group is its standard-bearer. The President of your French club is the ideal standard-bearer, with her beret and that perfect accent. A standard-bearer leads an organization, but also represents it. If a news story says that a new member of Congress is a standard-bearer for young conservatives, that means she speaks for many politicians who share those beliefs and is seen as a leader among them. This meaning comes from the original definition, "a soldier carrying (or bearing) the flag of a specific military unit or state."
Vocabulary lists containing standard-bearer
Flag Day
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Novel Study: I Am Malala
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for July 27–August 2, 2025
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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.
Once the leader of and undisputed standard-bearer for the TV-to-digital shift, the streaming pioneer has had to publicly contend with various moments of weakness throughout this year.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
Le Pen has been the standard-bearer of antiestablishment politics in France since she took over her father Jean-Marie Le Pen’s far-right party in 2011.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Portlandia,” Netflix Plenty of comedies are set in or around Seattle, as if the city is the Pacific Northwest’s standard-bearer.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2026
That's because unlike most other states -- where each party has its own election to choose a standard-bearer -- California has a so-called "jungle primary" that pits all-comers against each other.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
Tyrion saw his banner unfurl as his standard-bearer shook it out; a burning tree, orange and smoke.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
