Synonym Chooser

How is the word eminent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of eminent are celebrated, distinguished, famous, illustrious, noted, notorious, and renowned. While all these words mean "known far and wide," eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

When could celebrated be used to replace eminent?

The synonyms celebrated and eminent are sometimes interchangeable, but celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

When would distinguished be a good substitute for eminent?

In some situations, the words distinguished and eminent are roughly equivalent. However, distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

When is famous a more appropriate choice than eminent?

Although the words famous and eminent have much in common, famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

When can illustrious be used instead of eminent?

The meanings of illustrious and eminent largely overlap; however, illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

In what contexts can noted take the place of eminent?

While in some cases nearly identical to eminent, noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

How are the words notorious and famous related as synonyms of eminent?

Notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

When is it sensible to use renowned instead of eminent?

The words renowned and eminent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eminent Great not only as in eye-catching, dazzling, eminent, and profound, but also great as in worthy of a spot on art’s Olympus. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 15 May 2025 Over the course of a decade, Estonian avant-garde rapper Tommy Cash has become one of pop music’s eminent tricksters. Reanna Cruz, Vulture, 13 May 2025 Sacrifice and commitment have driven Emery to become one of football’s most eminent coaches. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025 In over two decades of prolific dance making for companies around the globe, the soon-to-be 52-year-old became fascinated with telling stories of eminent Latin figures including artists Frida Kahlo and Fernando Botero and First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón. Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eminent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eminent
Adjective
  • From September 25-28, the Windy City hosts Chicago Gourmet one of the nation’s most distinguished food festivals.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Developers feed their chatbot models on a torrent of material, much of it scraped from the web — everything from distinguished literary works to random babbling — as well as collections holding millions of books, articles, scientific papers and the like, some of it copyrighted.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • On the one hand, Season Four addresses a lot of outstanding emotional issues.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2025
  • In 2012, Bates won her first Emmy Award, taking home outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for Two and a Half Men.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • One starting point is seeking international students in the U.S. Students from around the world come to the U.S. to study AI and machine learning at prestigious schools.
    Sophie Alcorn, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The film recently received the prestigious Sydney Film Prize at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • The 3,000 career strikeout club is an exclusive club of 19 pitchers who have reached the illustrious mark.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
  • Cooper Flagg, his illustrious teammate at Montverde Academy, went first.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The American’s most famous painting Madame X (circa 1884) caused a scandal at the time for depicting socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau with a dress strap hanging down off her shoulder.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 23 June 2025
  • How quantum histories interfere One of the most famous demonstrations of the mysterious nature of quantum mechanics is called the double-slit experiment.
    Matt von Hippel, ArsTechnica, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Eventually, Graham became a notable player on the defensive end of the ball for the Eagles.
    Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
  • And included in the bill are major reforms to federal student loan repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs – but with some notable changes.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eminent. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

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