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

El-Sayed’s campaign is currently the left’s preeminent cause, held up as key proof that an obsessively anti-Zionist left-wing politics can win outside of blue enclaves. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Known as a preeminent authority on all things home, our founder has spent decades teaching people how to elevate their spaces through books, TV shows, and online and print publications. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 29 July 2026

The most preeminent is that the market has decided to exercise its power to stop the spend. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 26 July 2026

The incident and subsequent discourse has resurfaced contentious racial debates surrounding Clark's presence as the preeminent player in the WNBA. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 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