as in elder statesman
the senior member of a group
the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians
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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
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise.
—Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018
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
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
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
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And while Nixon did not want an official state funeral, he was honored as a beloved elder statesman, complete with a daylong period of national mourning.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Broncos elder statesman Garett Bolles had never made a Pro Bowl in his eight previous seasons in Denver, and so Natalie Bolles took matters into her own hands on Dec. 7, when her husband still hadn’t received his Pro Bowl graphic.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Free Home Elementary School in Cherokee County said the two-decade veteran educator and mother of one was placed on administrative leave.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Duties include making sure resident veterans receive the highest standard of medical care, following state laws and meeting specific needs of residents.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Trump’s tariffs have pushed Canada and China to look for opportunities to strengthen international cooperation, said Zhu Feng, the dean of the School of International Studies at China’s Nanjing University.—
Ken Moritsugu,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Nancy La Vigne, dean of the Rutgers-Newark School of Criminal Justice, noted that VR could help inmates practice real-world interactions, including navigating public transportation.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a world where plenty of rap elders are content to roll out unchallenging albums to steadfast fanbases, still knows how to hold your head underwater.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Joe Klaas, 46, is one of a fourth generation of descendants of the Baller family elders who founded the place.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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