statesman Hear it!

statesman Definition

states·man (stāts′mən)

noun pl. -·men-mən

a person who shows wisdom, skill, and vision in conducting state affairs and dealing with public issues, or one engaged in the business of government

Etymology: state's, gen. of state + man, based on Fr homme d'état

statesman Related Forms
states′·man·like′ adjective or states′·manly
statesman Synonyms

statesman

n.

legislator, lawgiver, Solon, administrator, executive, minister, official, politician, strategist, diplomat, representative, elder statesman, veteran lawmaker.

statesman Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • day: His home, Holland House in London, became a meeting place of wits and statesmen of the day.
  • time: In death, some newspapers proclaimed him the greatest statesman of old times.
  • period: His government also suffered from the absence of most of the senior statesmen of the period.
  • century: Summer 2005 Page 35 Gwynfor Dafydd Wigley looks at the career of ' the greatest Welsh statesman of the 20th century ' .
  • world: It was decided to approach Watts, the elder statesman of the art world for his advice.
  • politics: Former prime minister Pavlo Lazarenko allegedly commissioned the murder of Hetman considered a level-headed, elder statesmen of Ukrainian politics for $ 850,000.

Possessives

  • world: Unwanted: the world's greatest statesman is denied a place in Trafalgar Square.

Converse of object

  • become: After World War II Hubble became very much an elder statesman of US astronomy.
  • lead: The question is about his place as a- or the- leading world statesman.
  • play: No more having to play the supersonic statesman from a rental jumbo.
  • respect: Bob actively coaches many of the Cricket teams at the club and is a very well respected elder statesman.
  • have: I am glad we have so many statesmen who are true to God.

Adjective modifier

  • elder: The 33 year-old is the elder statesman for Season II of The Ultimate Fighter.
  • Athenian: The foundation of this city is attributed to the famous Athenian statesman Solon ' .
  • eminent: She was the sister of Viscount Castlereagh, an eminent statesman at the time of the Napoleonic Wars who lived at North Cray.
  • distinguished: Typical is John Wheeler, one of the distinguished elder statesmen of American physics today: " .
  • respected: Kaiser Wilhelm II became one of the most respected elder statesmen of Europe.
  • celebrated: PITT STREET named in honor of William Pitt, the celebrated statesman.

Noun used with modifier

  • world: At past conferences, Blair was able to rise above domestic criticism by playing the world statesman.
  • missionary: Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God's faithfulness.
statesman Quotes

   A politician is a person with whose politics you don't agree; if you agree with him, he is a statesman.

—Lloyd George (of Dwyfor), David, 1st Earl

   It is the business of a statesman to judge of the expediency of different schemes of economy, and by degrees to model the minds of his subjects so as to induce them from the allurement of private interest to concur in the execution of his plan.

—Steuart (later Denham), SirJames

A constitutional statesman is in general a man of common opinion and uncommon abilities.

—Bagehot,Walter

No man has come so near to our definition of a constitutional statesmanöthe powers of a first-rateman and the creed of a second-rate man.

—Bagehot,Walter

The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull.

—Acheson, Dean Gooderham

A politician is a statesman who approaches every question with an open mouth.

—Stevenson, Adlai E(wing)

A rule that may serve for a statesman, a courtier, or a loverönever make a defence or an apology before you be accused.

—Charles I

Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamoured of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others.

—Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett

Thus I live in the world rather as a Spectator of mankind, than as one of the species, by which means I have made myself a speculative statesman, soldier, merchant, and artisan, without ever meddling with any practical part of life.

—Addison,Joseph

A politician is a man who understandsgovernment, and ittakes a politiciantoruna Government. A statesman isa politician who has been dead10 or15 years.

—Truman, Harry S

No life, my honest scholar, no life so happyand so pleasant as the life of a well-governed angler; for when the lawyer is swallowed up with business, and the statesman is preventing or contriving plots, then we sit on cowslip-banks, hear the birds sing, and possess ourselves in as much quietness as these silver streams, which we now see glide so quietly by us.

—Walton, Izaak

The statesman's duty is to bridge the gap between his nation's experience and his vision.

—Kissinger, HenryAlfred

Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining; Though equal to all things, for all things unfit, Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit.

—Goldsmith, Oliver