Word of the Day

: August 8, 2010

eminently

adverb EM-uh-nunt-lee

What It Means

: to a high degree : very

eminently in Context

"The village is eminently walkable and packed with attractions for foodies, shoppers, history buffs, and children." (Ellen Albanese, The Boston Globe, June 30, 2010)

Did You Know?

When British physician Tobias Venner wrote in 1620 of houses "somewhat eminently situated," he used "eminently" in a way that now seems unusual. Venner meant that the houses were literally located in a high place, but that lofty use of "eminently" has since slipped into obsolescence. "Eminently" traces to the Latin term "eminēre," which means "to stand out." In its first documented English uses in the 15th century, the term meant "conspicuously," but that sense, like the elevated one we mentioned earlier, is now obsolete. The figurative sense for which the word is best known today began appearing in English texts in the mid-1600s.