preeminent

adjective

pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈe-mə-nənt How to pronounce preeminent (audio)
: having paramount rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding, supreme
preeminently adverb

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What is noteworthy about the following sentence? "Denali Mountain is a prominent eminence on the Alaskan landscape." You very likely recognized two words that are closely related to preeminent: prominent and eminence. All three words are rooted in the Latin verb stem -minēre, meaning "to stand out." Mount is also a related word: it comes from Latin mont- or mons, meaning "mountain," which shares a common ancestor with -minēre. Mount leads us in turn to paramount, a word closely related in meaning to preeminent.

Examples of preeminent in a Sentence

She's the preeminent chef in a city that has many good ones. The poem is a preeminent example of his work.
Recent Examples on the Web Torino is Italy’s preeminent event for young directors and indie cinema, and is where Matteo Garrone and Paolo Sorrentino screened their first works. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 17 Oct. 2024 But virtually ever since, animosity between the preeminent global body and the tiny Middle Eastern country has steadily grown, escalating now as U.N. forces have been drawn into Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon. Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024 The report marks the final update of the nation's preeminent inflation gauge ahead of the presidential election next month. Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Oct. 2024 Air Canada has always been, and will always be, the preeminent way to travel to and within America’s northerly neighbor. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for preeminent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preeminent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin praeeminent-, praeeminens, from Latin, present participle of praeeminēre to be outstanding, from prae- + eminēre to stand out — more at eminent

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preeminent was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near preeminent

Cite this Entry

“Preeminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preeminent. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

preeminent

adjective
pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈem-ə-nənt How to pronounce preeminent (audio)
: having supreme rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding
preeminently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on preeminent

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