Statesman

Pronunciation

Origin

Calque of French homme d'état, state's + -man

Full definition of statesman

Noun

1. A man who is a leader in national or international affairs.
2. A male political leader who promotes the public good or who is recognized for probity, leadership, or the qualities necessary to govern a state.
3. In the dialect of the English and nearby, a man who lives on a landed estate.

Related terms

• elder statesman
• statesmanship
• stateswoman
• statesperson