éminence grise

[ French ey-mee-nahns greez ]

noun,plural é·mi·nences grises

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

gray eminence.

Origin of éminence grise

From French

Words Nearby éminence grise

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use éminence grise in a sentence

“Mr. de la Renta is far more a hot dog than an eminence grise of American fashion” Horyn wrote in her review.
Oscar de la Renta's Feud with Cathy Horyn, The Man Repeller's Empire Expands | The Daily Beast | September 17, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Former Ambassador Robert Blackwill, a foreign-policy eminence grise, wishes to divide Afghanistan.
Don’t Abandon Afghanistan! | | June 9, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for éminence grise

éminence grise

/ French (eminɑ̃s ɡriz) /

nounplural éminences grises (eminɑ̃s ɡriz)

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

Origin of éminence grise

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for éminence grise

éminence grise

[ (ay-meh-nahns greez) ]

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.”

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