important person; bigwig; celebrated figure
Refers to someone of high status, influence, or achievement. Often used with a mix of respect and slight irony in casual contexts.
He became an important person in the company.
I'm nervous because it's a meeting where many bigwigs will attend.
Standard kanji spelling for this common expression.
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the kanji 偉 is not at hand.
Compound of 偉い (えらい, 'great, eminent') and 人 (ひと, 'person'). The phrase is transparent and follows standard Japanese noun-modification patterns.