statemant.html -
noun (Politics) A statesman or stateswoman. (Invented as a generic term to avoid sexism.)
Etymology : Formed by substituting the non-sexist -person for -man or -woman. History and Usage: The term was invented by the media in the second half of the seventies, and at first was in practice more or less limited to references to stateswomen: Indira Gandhi and, a little later, Margaret Thatcher were the people most often referred to as statespersons. By the end of the eighties,
though , it was starting to be used of statesmen as well. Contributors to the diary's
current competition (see
below ) may like to know that somebody wants Our Greatest Statesperson to have some free history lessons. Namely,
Mike Harris, a Labour member of Barnet council, embracing Mrs Thatcher's seat (Finchley, that is, I rush to point
out ). Guardian 10 Aug. 1989, p.
19 Genscher has
become Europe's senior statesperson. New Yorker 23 Oct. 1989, p. 104