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
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The blueprint stands clear: mix tech with community love, scale smart, and watch beauty's old guard play catch-up to the new brands like LAMIK that are redefining the industry. Kori Hale, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025 Following Friday’s deadline, seven candidates split between political newcomers and the city’s old guard have qualified to appear on the April 8 special election ballot, while 11 candidates have submitted applications to fill the leadership void in an interim capacity. Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025 Cornyn is seen as representative of the state GOP’s old guard, while Paxton is seen as a leader of the state’s rising far-right wing. Julia Mueller, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025 The prolific – and still very active – Bellocchio, who is 85, is considered the greatest living Italian director of the country’s old guard that came of age during the 1960s. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for old guard 

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 17 Feb. 2025.

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