statesman
Americannoun
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statesmen
plural
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a person who is experienced in the art of government or versed in the administration of government affairs.
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a person who exhibits great wisdom and ability in directing the affairs of a government or in dealing with important public issues.
noun
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a political leader whose wisdom, integrity, etc, win great respect
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a person active and influential in the formulation of high government policy, such as a cabinet member
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a politician
Synonym Usage
See politician.
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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statesmanshipnoun
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stateswomannoun
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superstatesmannoun
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statesman-likeadjective
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statesmanlikeadjective
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statesmanlyadjective
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unstatesmanlikeadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of statesman
First recorded in 1585–95; state + 's 1 + -man, modeled on steersman; compare the phrase ship of state
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.
See Examples For:
Sowing behind-the-scenes stories about how he’s actually approaching it like a responsible statesman could play to his advantage.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The club have mainly targeted players aged 20 and under from abroad, having already recruited Jaouen, Sean Steur, Bazoumana Toure and Aladji Bamba, so Hornicek will feel like something of an elder statesman in comparison.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
And now, with championship aspirations entering his 13th season, and fifth in Los Angeles, Mack is basking in his role as the Chargers’ elder statesman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
“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
I saw my role as am elder statesman who might help them move on to the more inclusive ideas of the Congress Movement.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Malick Thiaw was among the elder statesmen as he led Newcastle out as captain on his 25th birthday and this side will certainly need youthful vigour to play Jaissle's intense brand of football.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
They’re practically statesmen compared with the dorks of yore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
And during that time, he grew from wunderkind into one of the game’s elder statesmen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The elder statesmen of proto punk isn’t just another act on the Coachella bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
The answer, then, to the salient question—What were these two prominent American statesmen doing on that ledge beneath the plains of Weehawken?—is reasonably clear.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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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.
