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? "Denali Mountain is a prominent eminence on the Alaskan 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, meaning "to stand out." Mount is also a related word: it comes from Latin mont- or mons, meaning "mountain," which shares a common ancestor with -minēre. Mount leads us in turn to paramount, a word closely related in meaning to preeminent.

Synonyms

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• foremost
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• master
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• premier
• primal
• primary
• principal
• prior
• sovereign
• sovran
• 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

The preeminent art show Documenta, which takes place once every five years in Kassel, Germany, has enacted a new code of conduct three years after an antisemitism scandal roiled its 2022 edition. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025

Chinese leaders remain convinced of the country’s historic destiny to rise and displace the United States as the world’s preeminent power. —Yun Sun, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2025

Jackson was becoming known as the industry’s preeminent editor of Black authors. —Matthew Schneier, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025

Their swagger and samba vibes, combined with the nation’s impeccable history as the sport’s preeminent international side, add a level of stardom that no other country can replicate. —Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 17 Jan. 2025

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

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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