statesman
/ˈsteɪtsmən
/noun (plural statesmen)
A skilled, experienced, and respected political leader or figure: guests included members of the European royal families, diplomats, and statesmen...
- He called for more effort on the part of all statesmen, politicians and church leaders to resolve the schism in the Orthodox church.
- From now on, our leaders, our politicians, our statesmen will be fair game too.
- Minor world leaders get to be statesmen for a day, and tell their parliaments and electors that they are taking part in a world summit.
Synonyms
senior politician, respected political figure, elder statesman, political leader, national leader, grand old man, GOM;
French éminence grise
Derivatives
statesmanlike
/ adjective ...- This disdain for legality - well concealed behind statesmanlike rhetoric - corresponds directly with a second vice: not telling the public the truth.
- There were moments, especially in his last few statements, where he sounded statesmanlike and like a guy who wanted to be a ‘uniter, not a divider.’
- But Sistani has so far played a statesmanlike game.
statesmanly
Origin
Late 16th century: from state's man, translating French homme d'état.