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

Yesterday’s punk, grunge, and rebel-outsider upstarts have an uncanny way of evolving into today’s elder statesmen of respectable infamy.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
The squad’s elder statesmen set standards on the pitch and in the dressing room to help their more junior colleagues along their journey.

— Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of elder statesman

Noun

The tech giant is donating 130,000 glasses to legally blind US veterans.

— J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The hedge fund veteran and Cabinet secretary chose a starting point for his analysis that downplayed the bond market’s reaction to Trump’s presidency.

— Kevin Breuninger,Matt Peterson, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of veteran

Noun

In 1961, Carrie Meek became the first Black educator at Miami Dade College, then called North Dade Junior College, working her way through the ranks to associate dean and eventually becoming a state legislator and congresswoman.

— Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Rao Unnava stepped down as dean of the Graduate School of Management on July 1 after serving in that position for a decade.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of dean

Noun

Her plans include creating a ballroom, cultural and arts center where younger people can practice, newcomers can learn the history and elders can transfer their knowledge.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Borges may not be able to see the scenery, but delights in every scrap of local color, to a degree that the American — tasked with describing everything to his elder, in suitably lyrical terms — finds quite wearisome.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of elder

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éminence grise

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“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of éminence grise

noun

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