prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈprä-mə-nən(t)s 

ˈpräm-nən(t)s

1

: something prominent : projection

a rocky prominence

2

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent or conspicuous

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Synonyms

• altitude(s)
• elevation
• eminence
• height
• highland
• hill
• hump
• mound
• rise
• upland

Examples of prominence in a Sentence

The company rose to prominence in the 1990s.

The publicity has given him a prominence he doesn't deserve.

Recent Examples on the Web

One barometer of the excitement about long-acting regimens was their prominence at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Denver in March. —Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024

Porter’s ban comes as legal sports gambling continues to grow in prominence in the United States, and professional sports leagues continue to broker major sponsorship deals with legal sportsbook companies. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin prōminentia "state of projecting or jutting out," noun derivative of prōminent-, prōminens "projecting, standing out," from present participle of prōminēre "to project beyond a surface, stick out, stick up" — more at prominent

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

1

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent : distinction

a person of prominence

2

: something (as a mountain) that is prominent

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Medical Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

: an elevation or projection on an anatomical structure (as a bone)