eminently

adverb

em·​i·​nent·​ly ˈe-mə-nənt-lē 

: to a high degree : very

eminently worthy

an eminently sensible plan

Did you know?

Eminently Has a Stand Out History

When British physician Tobias Venner wrote in 1620 of houses "somewhat eminently situated," he meant that the houses were located at an elevated site—they were literally in a high place. That use has since slipped into obsolescence, as has the word's use to mean "conspicuously"—a sense that reflects its Latin root, ēminēre, which means "to stick out" or "protrude." All three meanings date to the 17th century, but today's figurative sense of "notably" or "very" is the only one now regularly encountered.

Synonyms of eminently

• extremely
• very
• highly
• incredibly
• terribly
• too
• damned
• so
• damn
• really
• badly
• severely
• far
• desperately
• jolly
• most
• super

Examples of eminently in a Sentence

an applicant who is eminently qualified for the job

Recent Examples on the Web

But everyone has decided, either independently or in some off-camera meeting, simply not to question her eminently questionable decision-making. —Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026

Throw in an eminently reasonable two-year extension for Jordan Eberle, and the Kraken had a solid, if muted, performance for a fringe playoff team. —The Athletic Nhl Staff, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026

First, each of the six propositions rests on eminently reasonable judgments about various institutions and their likely performance, capacities, and incentives. —Cass Sunstein, Big Think, 5 Mar. 2026

Any negative pushback in this moment will be interpreted as a small-minded and eminently self-serving response that puts parochial party interests above the interests of the country. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for eminently

• preeminently

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