ÉMINENCE GRISE Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

éminence grise

noun

ā-mē-näⁿs-ˈgrēz

Definition of éminence grise

as in elder statesman

the senior member of a group the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of éminence grise But none have matched JPMorgan, which, under the leadership of Wall Street’s eminence grise Jamie Dimon, has thrived. — Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024 Belafonte was 57, an eminence grise in entertainment, and his participation motivated lots of artists who admired him. — Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 Federer serving in the Sinatra/Clooney part as the eminence grise. — Jason Gay, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2022 That emotionally astute author, the eminence grise, the institutional memory. — Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021 In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise. — Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for éminence grise

Noun

And now, with championship aspirations entering his 13th season, and fifth in Los Angeles, Mack is basking in his role as the Chargers’ elder statesman.

— Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
How would one of hip-hop’s elder statesmen reflect on his career and his many successes?

— Jabari M. Evans, The Conversation, 24 June 2026

Definition of elder statesman

Noun

Army veteran Bert Mizusawa will win the Republican primary for Senate in Virginia, ABC News projects.

— ABC NEWS, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Like a certain hero of Greek myth and big-screen blockbuster, the Etna of Yoon's title is the veteran of a catastrophic war, scarred in body and mind, dogged in pursuit of an improbable homecoming.

— Colin Dwyer, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of veteran

Noun

In 1986, she was appointed as the associate dean of arts and letters at the Kendall campus and 10 years later, Holloway was appointed academic dean at the Wolfson campus under then-president Eduardo Padron.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law (ACLU Presidential Prize); and Elizabeth Foster, a South Carolina advocate for the freedom to read (the also-new ACLU Next Generation Leader in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties award).

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 25 July 2026

Definition of dean

Noun

Seventy percent of the workforce are caregivers of children, elders, people with disabilities, or others.

— Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
The woman Morris was convicted of abusing, Cindy Clemishire, has filed a $1 million defamation suit against Morris, the church, former and current elders, and a former church employee in Dallas County.

— Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of elder

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“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of éminence grise

noun

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