Definition of PROMINENT

Examples of prominent in a Sentence

… and a small precise mouth he kept pursed over teeth a shade too prominent and yellow. —John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994
When the easy way out seemed to be for a number of prominent men to support a petition to get Davis a pardon, which, if granted, would get the President and others off the hook, Davis was determined to let them hang there. —Robert Penn Warren, Jefferson Davis Gets His Citizenship Back, 1980
His eyes, which tended to bulge when he was exercised, were not quite prominent. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974
I don't mind his calling me raw. He is reckoned raw himself and at the same time perhaps the most prominent of the younger poets here. —Robert Frost, letter, c. 16 June 1913
He quickly became prominent in the music industry.
He placed the award in a prominent position on his desk.
He has a prominent nose.
the most prominent peak in the mountain range

Recent Examples of prominent from the Web

The UFC, the sport’s richest and most prominent promotion, is striving to increase its presence in Asia with shows in Singapore, Japan and China this year.

— greg beacham, The Seattle Times, "AP Exclusive: ONE Championship gets cash for major growth," 19 July 2017
And most prominent is steam barge The Mary Jarecki, wrecked in 1883.

— chris mcnamara, chicagotribune.com, "A deep dive into Michigan's eerie, beautiful Shipwreck Coast," 18 July 2017
Her most prominent action as Baltimore state’s attorney — the prosecution of six police officers in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray — yielded no convictions.

— justin fenton, Washington Post, "Baltimore prosecutor reaches out to youths amid violence," 17 July 2017
Frantz becomes the most prominent Division I college football player to publicly reveal his homosexuality during his career.

— creg stephenson, AL.com, "Kansas State starting tackle Scott Frantz announces he's gay in ESPN interview," 13 July 2017
The two most prominent opponents are Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, launched in 2009, which advocates for a democratic Rwanda, and Diane Rwigara, an independent also running on a platform of democratic reforms.

— tonny onyulo, MSNBC Newsweek, "Savior or Dictator? Government Critics Challenge Rwanda's One-Party State and President Ahead of Election," 12 July 2017
But after what have many seen as multiple misguided choices, one prominent fan account has decided to take a stand and actively unstan the 21-year-old.

— gabe bergado, Teen Vogue, "Popular Kendall Jenner Fan Account Has Decided to Stop Supporting Her," 11 July 2017
But the new list included some prominent Orthodox rabbis as well.

— ilan ben zion, Jewish Journal, "Israeli list of unrecognized US rabbis points to rift," 10 July 2017
Showcase of Louisville’s most prominent contemporary genres featuring Cheyenne Mize, Kendall Carter, Church Friends and 1200.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "10 must-see concerts July 6-12," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prominent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of prominent

Middle English promynent, from Latin prominent-, prominens, from present participle of prominēre to jut forward, from pro- forward + -minēre (akin to mont-, mons mountain) — more at mount

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

prominent Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of prominent

noticeable, remarkable, prominent, outstanding, conspicuous, salient, striking mean attracting notice or attention. noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation. a piano recital with no noticeable errors remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment. a film of remarkable intelligence and wit prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background. a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind. honored for her outstanding contributions to science conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind. conspicuous bureaucratic waste salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it. the salient points of the speech striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision. the region's striking poverty

prominent