old guard

noun

variants or less commonly Old Guard
1
: the conservative and especially older members of an organization (such as a political party)
2
: a group of established prestige and influence

compare new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Early on, a young, entrepreneurial Lorenzo was not accepted by the airline industry old guard. Ted Reed, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 With almost the entirety of Hamas’ old guard decapitated, Mashal seems to be the only choice for maintaining a connection to their past. Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Oct. 2024 But country music’s old guard remains stationed at its doorway. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2024 The House’s old guard of leadership — former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), and James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) — have subtly made public statements on the paths Biden might consider. Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for old guard 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'old guard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old guard was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near old guard

Cite this Entry

“Old guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20guard. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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