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
-
Like that elder statesman of American fashion, Mukherjee has managed to adopt aspects of traditional British tailoring while celebrating his own country’s aesthetically vital culture.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Djokovic evolved into a tennis legend and is now one of the sport’s elder statesmen.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Air Force veteran Mark Mendon of Blue Springs, Missouri, showed up to lend his support to the Satanic Grotto’s cause.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Before the game, Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller said veteran pitcher Yu Darvish was progressing in playing catch, but there was no specific timetable for his return from elbow inflammation.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Seidel and the university’s board of trustees, which met just before Wright was terminated as dean, have denied that his demotion was in retaliation for his refusing to transfer the funds.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
But it was trashed by H. L. Mencken, editor of the Baltimore Sun and dean of America‘s literary critics.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Whether through preparing tea, calling our elders, drinking and cleaning with water, or singing to our babies (plant, fur, or human!), our care practices are tied to the earth and everything born from it.—
Akilah Sailers,
Essence,
5 Apr. 2025
-
The distance from Bolden to the present day is only six generations, but the mentorship, stewardship, and transmission of this most American music has always depended on elders of the craft.—
Elizabeth Alexander,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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