preeminent

adjective

pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈe-mə-nənt How to pronounce preeminent (audio)
: 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.

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
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.
Payton, one of the sport’s preeminent play callers, was in his bag from the opening possession, and Nix brought it all to life in vivid clarity, like a Rocky Mountain sunset. Michael Silver, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 As one of the city’s preeminent photographers, his connections could help explain the eye-opening access to circuses and ball games; and to the likes of Tom Pendergast, City Manager Henry McElroy, Governor Guy Park and the Ready-Mixed Concrete plant. Randy Mason, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025 His reputation as a president conversant in rocker counterculture, though, was noticed by the era’s preeminent gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024 For now, Huawei’s HiSilicon is the country’s preeminent AI chip designer. Reva Goujon, Foreign Affairs, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for preeminent 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of preeminent was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near preeminent

Cite this Entry

“Preeminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preeminent. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

preeminent

adjective
pre·​em·​i·​nent prē-ˈem-ə-nənt How to pronounce preeminent (audio)
: having supreme rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding
preeminently adverb

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