faceless man

noun

Someone who is not elected to political office, but exerts power over political affairs from behind the scenes.

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Meanings

nounfaceless man (plural faceless men)

plural faceless men

  1. AustralianidiomaticinformalgovernmentSomeone who is not elected to political office, but exerts power over political affairs from behind the scenes.

Origin

Coined by Australian journalist Alan Reid in 1963 in The Daily Telegraph.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

faceless man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faceless%20man

MLA

“faceless man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faceless%20man. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “faceless man,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/faceless%20man.

Source: faceless man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.