éminence grise

[ey-mee-nahns greez]

noun

plural

éminences grises 

1. gray eminence.

éminence grise

/ eminɑ̃s ɡriz /

noun

1. a person who wields power and influence unofficially or behind the scenes

éminence grise

1. A person who wields power behind the scenes: “The king's brother-in-law is his éminence grise; he has enormous influence, though he is rarely in the public eye.” A French term meaning “gray eminence.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of éminence grise¹

From French

Word History and Origins

Origin of éminence grise¹

C19: literally: grey eminence, originally applied to Père Joseph (François Le Clerc du Tremblay; died 1638), French monk, secretary of Cardinal Richelieu

When To Use

What does éminence grise mean?

Éminence grise is a term for a person who wields power in an unofficial capacity or who influences things behind the scenes, mostly or completely out of public view.The term is usually used in the context of politics and is typically applied to someone who wields power through another person who holds an official position. The term often implies that the éminence grise is doing this secretly or in an unauthorized or otherwise shadowy way.The term is most often applied by the media or by those who are critical of such influence.Éminence grise comes from French and literally translates to “gray eminence,” which can be used as a synonym, though this is less common. (The spelling grey eminence is also used.)The plural of éminence grise is éminences grises.Example: The press is calling him an éminence grise and implying that he is the one orchestrating things behind the scenes.