preeminent
adjective
Did you know?
What is noteworthy about the following sentence? "Mount Kilimanjaro is a prominent eminence on the Tanzanian 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, which is taken to mean "to stand out" though there is no record of its use without a prefix. Mount also deserves an honorable mention: it comes from the Latin mont- or mons, meaning "mountain," which is understood to share 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
Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 May 2026
This marked a 180-degree turnaround, from local courts having the power to check federal power to federal courts becoming preeminent over state courts.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 25 May 2026
Not because highlights are preeminent.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 22 May 2026
After becoming the preeminent photographer at the height of American fashion magazines, Avedon was the inspiration behind the Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire musical comedy Funny Face.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preeminent
Cite this Entry
“Preeminent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preeminent. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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preeminent
adjective
