Svengali is a term used to describe a sinister manipulator, often in the context of a person who exerts a controlling or mesmeric influence over another. It is derived from the character of the same name in George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby. The character Svengali is a sinister figure who uses hypnosis and mind control to manipulate the titular character, Trilby. The term has since been used to describe any person who uses manipulation to control another.