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preeminence
noun
pre·em·i·nence
prē-ˈe-mə-nən(t)s
: the quality or state of being preeminent : superiority
Synonyms
Examples of preeminence in a Sentence
the restaurant is known for the preeminence of its seafood dishes
some historians contended that no nation had attained such undisputed preeminence since the glory days of the Roman Empire
Recent Examples on the Web
Presidents, movie stars, criminals and despots Barbara Jill Walters was a force from the time TV was exploding on the American scene in the 1960s to its waning preeminence in a new world of competition from streaming services and social media a half-century later.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
In 2003, the Washington Times ran a double-page spread that claimed all 36 deceased American presidents had acknowledged Moon’s preeminence.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
This new digital age would loosen the cultural grip that Hollywood held on consumers, setting the stage for YouTube, TikTok, streaming and other forms of entertainment that would challenge the movie business’s preeminence.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
Consider, for example, the immediate post–Cold War years, when everyone agreed on the United States’ unprecedented preeminence.
—Joshua Shifrinson, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023
In World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, autocracies in Eurasia sought global primacy by achieving preeminence within that central landmass.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
America’s own history shows how achieving regional preeminence facilitates global power projection.
—Andrew S. Erickson, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2024
On September 10, 2001, the U.S. was the unchallenged global superpower, with naval preeminence as the bedrock of American military dominance.
—Gil Barndollar, TIME, 12 Feb. 2024
The very same decadal survey that reinforced MSR’s preeminence also set several other high-priority objectives, such as robotic NASA missions to Uranus, Venus and the mysterious Saturnian moons Enceladus and Titan.
—Leonard David, Scientific American, 11 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preeminence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of preeminence was
in the 13th century
Dictionary Entries Near preeminence
Cite this Entry
“Preeminence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preeminence. Accessed 24 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
preeminence
noun
pre·em·i·nence
prē-ˈem-ə-nən(t)s
: the quality or state of being preeminent
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