éminence grise

noun

ā-mē-näⁿs-ˈgrēz How to pronounce éminence grise (audio)
Definition of éminence grisenext
as in elder statesman
the senior member of a group the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians

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Example Sentences

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
  1. elder statesman
  2. veteran
  3. dean
  4. elder
Noun
  • 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
  • Crucially, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has attracted a lot of criticism as the side’s 41-year-old elder statesman, responded to the doubters with two goals — and could have had more.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of elder statesman
Noun
  • Disability spans every age, race, culture and socioeconomic background, and investment in accessibility and inclusive programming tends to ripple outward, improving experiences for older adults, veterans, families and caregivers along the way.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • The Panthers had already moved to protect themselves on the left side, signing veteran tackle Rasheed Walker in March as a potential replacement for Ekwonu.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of veteran
Noun
  • 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
  • Florida International University’s incoming interim law school dean wasn’t just passed over as a finalist during the university’s national search.
    — Austin Horn July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of dean
Noun
  • Its inhabitants remain largely indifferent to the independence movement; village elders reason that freedom will benefit the educated while cultivators will merely exchange one set of masters for another.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • Young orcas then gobbled up fish fragments that drifted through the water as their elders tore into what was left of the sunfish’s corpse.
    — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Definition of elder

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Cite this Entry

“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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