Synonym Chooser

How is the word eminent different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of eminent are celebrated, distinguished, famous, illustrious, noted, notorious, and renowned. While all these words mean "known far and wide," eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

When could celebrated be used to replace eminent?

The synonyms celebrated and eminent are sometimes interchangeable, but celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

When would distinguished be a good substitute for eminent?

In some situations, the words distinguished and eminent are roughly equivalent. However, distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

When is famous a more appropriate choice than eminent?

Although the words famous and eminent have much in common, famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

When can illustrious be used instead of eminent?

The meanings of illustrious and eminent largely overlap; however, illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

In what contexts can noted take the place of eminent?

While in some cases nearly identical to eminent, noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

How are the words notorious and famous related as synonyms of eminent?

Notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

When is it sensible to use renowned instead of eminent?

The words renowned and eminent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of eminent Dalla Costa shared her ideas with other feminists, including Selma James, who lived in London and had been married to the eminent cultural historian and Pan-Africanist C. L. R. James. Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 23 May 2025 The award ceremony was presided over by Silvia Grilli, editor-in-chief of the eminent Italian fashion magazine, Grazia. Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 In 1949 the eminent mathematician Kurt Gödel, a longtime friend of Albert Einstein’s, discovered an exact analytical solution to Einstein’s general theory of relativity that included a rotating cosmos. Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2025 Great not only as in eye-catching, dazzling, eminent, and profound, but also great as in worthy of a spot on art’s Olympus. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for eminent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for eminent
Adjective
  • From September 25-28, the Windy City hosts Chicago Gourmet one of the nation’s most distinguished food festivals.
    Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Developers feed their chatbot models on a torrent of material, much of it scraped from the web — everything from distinguished literary works to random babbling — as well as collections holding millions of books, articles, scientific papers and the like, some of it copyrighted.
    Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • But Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee left a hearing Wednesday with outstanding questions that could take lawmakers months to answer — if not longer.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 10 July 2025
  • Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe left frustrated Vinicius Jr had been looking to shine again in the U.S., yet the Brazilian departed with just one goal and one assist to his name from six games, with both his contributions coming in his outstanding performance against Salzburg.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • One starting point is seeking international students in the U.S. Students from around the world come to the U.S. to study AI and machine learning at prestigious schools.
    Sophie Alcorn, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • The film recently received the prestigious Sydney Film Prize at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • The 3,000 career strikeout club is an exclusive club of 19 pitchers who have reached the illustrious mark.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
  • Cooper Flagg, his illustrious teammate at Montverde Academy, went first.
    Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Big Bear is famous for its diverse terrain and powder, and the atmosphere here is decidedly ski town-y, with all the bro-ness and craft breweries that go along with it.
    Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
  • Karlovy Vary is famous for not being precious about its honorary awards; each year’s trailer features a previous winner trash-talking, misusing or even destroying the event’s distinctive Crystal Globe statuette.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bentley Residences is part of an ongoing push by automakers to sidestep into skyscraper design, with other notable projects including towers by Mercedes-Benz, Bugatti, and Porsche.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 June 2025
  • Eventually, Graham became a notable player on the defensive end of the ball for the Eagles.
    Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Eminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/eminent. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on eminent

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