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éminence grise

noun [C]
 
 
/ˈem.ɪ.nɒ̃sˌɡriːz/ (also grey eminence)

Definition

someone without an official position who has power or influence over rulers or people who make decisions: Civil servants are the ones who really have the power - they are the éminences grises behind the government ministers.Powerful people and dictators
(Definition of éminence grise noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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