Nestor

noun

Nes·​tor ˈne-stər How to pronounce Nestor (audio)
-ˌstȯr
1
: a king of Pylos who serves in his old age as a counselor to the Greeks at Troy
2
often not capitalized : one who is a patriarch or leader in a field

Did you know?

Nestor was another character from the Iliad, the eldest of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War. A great warrior as a young man, he was now noted for his wisdom and his talkativeness, both of which increased as he aged. These days, a nestor is not necessarily long-winded, but merely wise and generous with his advice.

Examples of Nestor in a Sentence

as the grizzled nestor of American film critics, he greatly influences what other reviewers write
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The names for the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season are Andrea, Barry, Chantal, Dexter, Erin, Fernand, Gabrielle, Humberto, Imelda, Jerry, Karen, Lorenzo, Melissa, Nestor, Olga, Pablo, Rebekah, Sebastien, Tanya, Van and Wendy. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 May 2025 The Yankees also moved on from Gleyber Torres, Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo and Nestor Cortes, who all played large – if not necessarily successful – parts in the 2024 World Series. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 May 2025 Along with Aniston, 56, and Witherspoon, 49, Mark Duplass (Chip Black), Billy Crudup (Cory Ellison), Karen Pittman (Mia Jordan) and Greta Lee (Stella Bak) return for season 4, as well as Nicole Beharie (Christina Hunter) and Nestor Carbonell (Yanko Flores). Julia Moore, People.com, 28 May 2025 Returning stars include Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Greta Lee, Nicole Beharie — and fan-favorite Jon Hamm. Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Nestor

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Nestōr

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Nestor was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Nestor. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on Nestor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!