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

see also:

new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Enter Ayo Dosunmu, the 26-year-old guard who came their way with forward Julian Phillips via trade with Chicago at the February trade deadline for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks. —Sam Amick, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

Carvajal was part of Venezuela’s old guard, close to the late President Hugo Chávez since their days in the army. —Max Saltman, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

The 20-year-old guard pushed the pace, got to the foul line (5 of 6 in the third quarter) and helped keep the Spurs’ offense afloat throughout dry spells. —Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Apr. 2026

Two years into Bronny James’ NBA career, in the postseason spotlight, cries of nepotism will have to wait for the bench minutes the Lakers actually need from the 21-year-old guard. —Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for old guard

• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard
• courtyard
• debarred
• diehard