greybeards
Venerable aged men
Greybeards is the plural of greybeard, a term for an old man, especially one whose age is thought to confer wisdom or authority.
The word evokes the image of a patriarch whose beard has gone grey with age.
In various contexts, greybeards may be respected elders whose counsel is sought, or they may be dismissed as out of touch: The greybeards on the committee resisted any modernization.
The spelling graybeards is more common in American English.
Male ancestral leaders
- sagesProfoundly learned people
- eldersSenior community members
- grandfathersFathers of parents
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
doyens · forebears · progenitors · old-timers · oldsters · seniors · matriarchs · wise men
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
- sage advicePrudent guidance from experience
- counselExpert guidance offered
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
judgment · prudence · foresight · discernment · mentorship · guidance · lore · tradition
Experienced, skilled people
- expertsHighly skilled practitioners
- stalwartsDevoted, reliable supporters
- campaignersPeople promoting a cause
- old guardConservative faction within organization
masters · deans · authorities · mentors · pioneers · trailblazers · founders · battle-hardened
patriarchs
Male ancestral leaders
- sagesProfoundly learned people
- eldersSenior community members
- grandfathersFathers of parents
ancestors · doyens · forebears · progenitors · old-timers · oldsters · seniors · matriarchs · wise men · venerable
sage
Wisdom keeper or seasoning
- sage advicePrudent guidance from experience
- counselExpert guidance offered
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
experience · judgment · prudence · foresight · discernment · mentorship · guidance · lore · tradition · oral history
old hands
Experienced, skilled people
- expertsHighly skilled practitioners
- stalwartsDevoted, reliable supporters
- campaignersPeople promoting a cause
old guard · masters · deans · authorities · mentors · pioneers · trailblazers · founders · battle-hardened · war horses
greybeardsyouth
State of being immature
youngsters · young people · children · kids · whippersnappers
greybeardsnovices
Inexperienced newcomers
newcomers · beginners · neophytes · greenhorns · rookies
greybeardsupstarts
Presumptuous newly successful people
young Turks · insurgents · new blood · radicals · revolutionaries