eminence grise
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈɛmɪnəns ɡriz/
- Literature
:
eminencia gris
- Many view him as the eminence grise of modern education reform, shaping policies from the background.
Examples
-
By the time of his death in 1977, he had completed the politician's life cycle from infant terrible to eminence grise.
Academic text (1992) -
At age 82, Chicago Magazine calls him "eminence grise among Chicago dealmakers." If the name sounds familiar, that's because his son is the former head of the Illinois Republican Party who staged an unsuccessful run for governor in 2010.
Blog text (21) -
The president consulted an eminence grise to guide his decision-making behind the scenes.
-
As an eminence grise in the music industry, she wielded significant influence without being a public figure.
Antonyms
How Influential
- Literature
1
9.9
- Literature
2
8.2
- Literature
14
7.0
- US
271
2.8
537
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
eminence + grise
This is an idiomatic French loan: 'grise' is not a standard English word and even if a learner interpreted it as French for 'grey', combining 'eminence' (importance) + 'grey' does not transparently yield 'a behind-the-scenes influential person'. The specific sense (an unofficial advisor) is historically and culturally specific, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably derive the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Eminence grise comes from a story in old France about a man in grey robes who quietly advised a powerful church leader. The part grise means 'grey' and eminence was the leader's title, so because the man held real power without an official role, eminence grise now means 'someone powerful who works behind the scenes'.