1
as in greatest
coming before all others in importance
the preeminent reason for the booming economy
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the preeminent golfer of his generation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in outstanding
standing above others in rank, importance, or achievement
a meeting of preeminent scientists from around the world
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preeminent
The world’s preeminent chipmaking destination could secure lower tariffs in exchange for more TSMC fabs in Arizona.
—
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
But the surprising thing, really, was how many preeminent experts—scientists, intelligence analysts, economists, even lawyers—stayed in their government job for the entire arc of their career.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
An overarching point is that both sources of designation authority reflect the Constitution’s preeminent precept of checks and balances.
—James M. McGuire, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
The Gophers won top-three showdowns against Michigan in the pair of years, in renditions of what was the Big Ten’s preeminent rivalry over the conference’s first 50 years.
—The Athletic College Football, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preeminent
Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026
But the surprising thing, really, was how many preeminent experts—scientists, intelligence analysts, economists, even lawyers—stayed in their government job for the entire arc of their career.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Jan. 2026
An overarching point is that both sources of designation authority reflect the Constitution’s preeminent precept of checks and balances.
—James M. McGuire, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2026
The Gophers won top-three showdowns against Michigan in the pair of years, in renditions of what was the Big Ten’s preeminent rivalry over the conference’s first 50 years.
—The Athletic College Football, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preeminent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preeminent
Adjective
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Chris Tissue, who is chief operating officer at credit union consulting firm CUCollaborate, will be the board’s chairperson.—
Jeff Kauflin,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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That includes models getting ready, up-close looks at the show and everything that went into the planning with the brand's chief creative officer Adam Selman.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Directors Guild of America has named the nominees for its 2025 awards in the outstanding directorial achievement in television, commercials and documentary categories.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Hollywood Reporter snagged a nomination again for outstanding magazine overall coverage in a list that also includes The Advocate, Cosmo, Gaye Magazine, Out, People, Poz, Rolling Stone, Time and Variety.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And one of its main ingredients was a hair product – Afro Sheen.—
Sonari Glinton,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Then the Orion capsule will fire up its main thruster and shoot off towards the Moon on its 240,000-mile, four-day journey.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Cobo is recognized as a foremost expert on Latin music.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 Jan. 2026
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From the jump, however, Denver didn’t just have confidence in what Payton could provide as a past Super Bowl winner and with his reputation as one of the game’s foremost offensive minds and quarterback developers.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The 37th Annual Producers Guild Awards to be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at the Fairmont Century Plaza, and will also include special honors celebrating distinguished producers whose careers reflect sustained excellence and influence.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
9 Jan. 2026
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Attorney, civil rights advocate and political commentator Bakari Sellers will be the event's distinguished speaker.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Uganda’s longtime President Yoweri Museveni took a commanding lead in early election results as reports of deadly violence emerged following Thursday’s vote.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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At this point, Lawrence needs a commanding postseason display to turn that around.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ribeiro, recipient of Brazil’s most prestigious literary prizes, including the Jabuti Prize, Brazilian Academy of Letters Prize, and Brazilian PEN Club Prize, is the author of fourteen works of fiction including The Impostor and As If by Magic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Wimbledon June 29—July 13, 2026 Grab your finest tennis whites and get ready for the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, held in Wimbledon in southwest London.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The primary driver now is its Infrastructure Solutions Group, which encompasses servers, storage, and networking — the vital equipment that fuels data centers.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold will be the primary threats from Saturday night into Monday morning.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preeminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preeminent. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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