preeminent

adjective

pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈe-mə-nənt 

: having paramount rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding, supreme

preeminently adverb

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• greatest
• main
• highest
• dominant
• predominant
• primary
• foremost
• leading
• first
• big
• supreme
• principal
• chief

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

For decades, Robinson also served as perhaps North Carolina’s preeminent expert on corporate law. —Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025

Long before the video diary became the en vogue format of personal expression on YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok, Ross McElwee was America’s preeminent first-person filmmaker. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

The Fed’s independence has been central to the United States’ role as the globe’s preeminent economic power; investors worldwide believe the central bank won’t act on a president’s whims. —Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 30 Aug. 2025

James Zug, the preeminent historian of the game, writes about how, in the winter of 1901, 32 men competed at the club in the first squash tournament on American soil. —Eric Zillmer, The Conversation, 26 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for preeminent

• eminent
• remanent

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Kids Definition

preeminent

adjective

pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈem-ə-nənt 

: having supreme rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding

preeminently adverb