éminence grise

American  

[ey-mee-nahns greez] / eɪ mi nɑ̃s ˈgriz /

noun

éminences grises plural

1. gray eminence.

---

éminence grise British  

/ eminɑ̃s ɡriz /

noun

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

---

éminence grise Cultural  

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.”

---

Usage

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.

Etymology

Origin of éminence grise

From French

Example Sentences

Less successful is Mark Rylance as a strange tech titan named Peter Isherwell, an eminence grise of prominent white teeth, Julian Assange-like hair and irritatingly gnomic pronouncements.

From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2021

But he was hardly anyone’s idea of an eminence grise when he was plucked from relative obscurity as publisher of Pan Books, Britain’s paperback king, to run America’s most storied hardcover imprint.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 31, 2019

As a kid, Hogan hovered like a disapproving eminence grise over my fledgling attempts to become a grown-up.

From Golf Digest • Jul. 12, 2018

The Hollywood Reporter recently ran a heart-tugging profile of the once eminence grise broadcaster Charlie Rose, depicting him as “broken, brilliant and lonely”, miserably playing tennis at his $4m-$6m home.

From The Guardian • Apr. 28, 2018

“Le Pen is a man of the 19th century,” said Philippe Peninque, a former lawyer and consultant who is often described as Ms. Le Pen’s eminence grise.

From New York Times • May 3, 2017