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

One of the preeminent and prestigious horse races in the world, the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby — often called The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports — features a weekend full of events drawing celebrities, athletes, enthusiasts and, of course, the chicest hats and outfits. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 3 May 2025

Since its founding in 2013, Big Loud has become one of Nashville’s preeminent record labels, with a roster that includes Wallen — the biggest country act in the business — as well as Hardy, Ernest and Miranda Lambert among others. —Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025

Become a Subscriber MacCulloch, a professor (now emeritus) at the University of Oxford since 1995, is a preeminent historian of Christianity. —Grace Byron, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025

Also joining the list of 10 this year is Washington University in St. Louis, a preeminent research university that enrolls about 7,300 undergraduates and 6,900 graduate students, and is lauded for its pre-med programs and Olin Business School. —Emma Whitford, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 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

Rhymes for preeminent

• eminent
• remanent

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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