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

Zegler came to prominence playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s new adaptation of West Side Story at the age of 17. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024

These red splashes were prominences or filaments of the Sun's plasma. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

Now hacking is a major, indispensable component of a full-fledged war, and its practitioners have emerged from a gray zone of plausible deniability into the limelight of military prominence. —IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024

So is Escovedo, who rose to prominence in the early 1970s as a key member of the pioneering Latin-rock bands Santana and Azteca before becoming one of the most versatile and in-demand percussionists around. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024

People under high clouds in the path of totality may still have a chance to observe coveted phenomena like the corona or any prominences. —Mary Gilbert, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

His journey from America's heartland to life in a volatile border town started in 2012 with his rise to prominence as a gun expert and cartel go-to guy. —Beth Warren, USA TODAY, 6 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)