Dictionary

éminence grise en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌeɪ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˌɛmɪnɒns ˈɡɹiːz/ (Received-Pronunciation, also) of éminences grises
• /ˌeɪ-/ (General-American)
• /ˌɛmɪnɑns ˈɡɹiz/ (General-American, also) of éminences grises

Etymology

Borrowed from French éminence grise (literally “grey eminence”), originally applied to François Leclerc du Tremblay (1577–1638), also known as Père Joseph, a French Capuchin friar who was the confidant and agent of Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642), the chief minister of France under Louis XIII (1601–1643). The term refers to du Tremblay’s influence over the Cardinal (who bore the honorific of Eminence), and the colour of his habit (grey, rather than the red of a cardinal).

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A secret or unofficial decision-maker.
   • But Harry Hopkins was no mere manipulator of people and ideas, no eminence grise masterminding the actions of figureheads. 1987 July 12, John A[rthur] Garraty, “Harry’s Luck [book review of Harry Hopkins: Ally of the Poor and Defender of Democracy by George McJimsey]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2020, page 28:
   • [Ichirō] Ozawa is the Secretary-General of [Yukio] Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan (DJP) and the éminence grise of the electoral campaign that catapulted the new Prime Minister to power. 2009 September 16, Coco Masters, “Japan’s New Prime Minister—and New Shadow Shogun”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Warner Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 Oct 2017:
   • The watchmaker himself, a white-haired éminence grise, was bent over his work, a jeweler’s loupe in his eye, when I walked in. 2026 April 24, Robert Klose, “Fix my watch, tell me a story”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC:

Forms

Relateds

puppet master · svengali

Synonyms

power behind the throne · gray eminence

Translations (23)

nl grijze eminentie (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · ja 黒幕 (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · da grå eminence (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · de graue Eminenz (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · sh siva eminencija (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · pt eminência parda (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · es eminencia gris (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · nl éminence grise (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · cmn 灰衣主教 (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · ko 흑막 (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · ro eminență cenușie (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · ka რუხი კარდინალი (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · sh сива еминенција (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · fi harmaa eminenssi (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · pl szara eminencja (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · es jefe máximo (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · uk сірий кардина́л (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · cs šedá eminence (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · no grå eminense (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · sv grå eminens (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · hu szürke eminenciás (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · it eminenza grigia (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne) · fr éminence grise (secret or unofficial decision-maker — see also power behind the throne)

wikipedia: François Leclerc du Tremblay · wikipedia: Cardinal Richelieu · wikipedia: Louis XIII