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
-
Sony Pictures unveiled its restructuring of its senior film leadership ranks under motion pictures chief Tom Rothman, who ranks as the unrivaled elder statesman of studio leaders in this turbulent moment for Hollywood.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
30 July 2025
-
The game industry elder statesman is still coming up with left-field ideas to this day.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
While his leash might be short, the veteran has the support of his coaching staff and organization as the starter for the time being.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
-
Multiple teams have expressed interest in the Royals’ top veterans.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
He’s been a ubiquitous character actor ever since, from the scene-stealing game show host in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000) to the college dean in The House Bunny (2008).—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
-
Nance is also exploring volunteer opportunities with Legal Aid of Arkansas after her appointment as dean ends.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Johnny and Ben are usually depicted as bickering surrogate brothers, the hotheaded youngster and the curmudgeonly elder; Susan is a pragmatic force, with Reed often lost in his own world.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
25 July 2025
-
But such victories will likely reassure party elders resistant to change, thereby leaving in place the same party that fought and lost the 2024 election, complete with its attachment to Israel and military spending.—
Andrew Cockburn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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