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

Performing at Zanies, the preeminent comedy club in his native Nashville. —Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025

His proud, Black queerness takes the spotlight on one of the world’s preeminent stages, playing the sort of music that is not expected of him but that he’s found home in. —Lauren Morrow september 9, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2025

For the Estarházy’s have been the preeminent Hungarian noble family, with origins in the Middle Ages and the greatest landowners, since long before 1776 was even a notion in the mind of Thomas Jefferson. —Louis J. Esterhazy, Footwear News, 7 Sep. 2025

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