From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstalwartstal‧wart1 /ˈstɔːlwət $ ˈstɒːlwərt/ noun [countable] FAITHFULsomeone who is very loyal to a particular organization or set of ideas, and works hard for them old party stalwartsstalwart of Rob’s a stalwart of the school’s chess club.
Examples from the Corpus
stalwart• Perhaps he could count on Paul Quinn, a stalwart of the 9: 15 liturgy planning team.• a stalwart of the Democratic Party• My being hemmed in by well-armed stalwarts, was part of the plan.• A lucky stalwart might gain the patronage of some powerful upper-hab clan or even of a noble.• So what if movement stalwarts fought with one another? asks Nicosia.• However, if policies are changed, party stalwarts will complain that traditional principles are being forgotten.• The party stalwarts toe the presidential line and shout down those who disagree.• The stalwarts of the Hunterston Cycle Club are taking to the road again in the name of charity.stalwartstalwart2 adjective 1 → stalwart supporter/ally etc2 formalSTRONG PERSON strong in appearance —stalwartly adverbExamples from the Corpus
stalwart• Goldman typically has shied away from risky startups, preferring to stick with more stalwart institutions such as Chevron Corp.• She could see the lake behind the motel through the stalwart line of trees.• Fritz was maid, butler, and errand boy, the stalwart ninny who never spoke a word of complaint.• Only the stalwart, the dedicated, or the mad, remain.Origin stalwart2 Old English stælwierthe “useful, strong”, probably from stæl “place” + wierthe “worth” 