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? "Mount Kilimanjaro is a prominent eminence on the Tanzanian 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, which is taken to mean "to stand out" though there is no record of its use without a prefix. Mount also deserves an honorable mention: it comes from the Latin mont- or mons, meaning "mountain," which is understood to share a common ancestor with -minēre. Mount leads us in turn to paramount, a word closely related in meaning to preeminent.

Synonyms of preeminent

• greatest
• main
• highest
• primary
• foremost
• dominant
• predominant
• leading
• big
• first
• principal
• chief
• supreme

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

According to a 2013 survey from Gallaudet University, the nation’s preeminent Deaf college, less than a quarter of families with deaf children regularly use sign language at home. —Claire Rafford, IndyStar, 9 Feb. 2026

Todd Interests has been behind some of the city’s preeminent redevelopments. —Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026

To escape being captured or killed, the preeminent spiritual Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, fled to India in 1959 after Communist China violently took over his homeland Tibet. —Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 4 Feb. 2026

As always, the gala remained one of the preeminent Hollywood people-watching spots of the season, upholding its tradition as a glorious hodgepodge of stars from across film, TV, music and sports. —Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026

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