What does "old guard" mean?

A (comparatively) conservative, reactionary faction that is more unwilling to accept new ideas than their peers are.

What is a synonym for "old guard"?

Common synonyms include: establishment, habitué, old regime, pachyderms, rearguard, unreformed.

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A (comparatively) conservative, reactionary faction that is more unwilling to accept new ideas than their peers are.
2
a faction that is unwilling to accept new ideas wordnet
3
Collectively, the members of a team who have been a long time in a place.
"The Blues, without new big-money signings Fernando Torres and David Luiz, relied on their old guard to dig them out of an early hole."

"The Blues, without new big-money signings Fernando Torres and David Luiz, relied on their old guard to dig them out of an early hole."

Calque of French vieille garde.