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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The franchise’s elder statesmen understand that Jokic is an inextricable aspect of any conversation about Murray’s developing legacy.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Boasting 14 years of NBA experience, Middleton joins Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dwight Powell and Jones as Dallas’ elder statesmen.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lastly, Vlachos had submitted a proposal to JobsOhio, the Ohio State president's office and others for a mobile job-search app for Ohio veterans, according to JobsOhio social media posts.—
JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The duo join veteran Annapurna executive Skye Optican, VP International Film & TV as well as Head of Theatre, who has been based in London for several years growing Annapurna’s international presence and slate across film, TV and theatre.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Also, there are academic department consolidations under discussion with deans and faculty, the provost wrote.—
Helen I. Bennett,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Jason Harris, who serves as the associate dean for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at Purdue, stated that the experience provided by the Alpha-E equips students with the technical skills necessary for the evolving energy sector.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Not a passive one staring at a monitor in another state, but an active presence — someone who notices the unlocked window, who hears the footstep on the porch, who understands that an elder’s sudden confusion might signal a urinary tract infection.—
Neal K. Shah,
Boston Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Tribal youths worked with elders to harvest tule — a stalky plant native to California’s wetlands — and use it to build traditional boats.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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