prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈprä-mə-nən(t)s 

ˈpräm-nən(t)s

1

: something prominent : projection

a rocky prominence

2

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent or conspicuous

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Synonyms

• altitude(s)
• elevation
• eminence
• height
• highland
• hill
• hump
• mound
• rise
• upland

Examples of prominence in a Sentence

The company rose to prominence in the 1990s.

The publicity has given him a prominence he doesn't deserve.

Recent Examples on the Web

Such improbability is what propelled the Club 27 myth to prominence, and subsequent deaths — especially Kurt Cobain’s passing — continue to fuel its mystique, Dunivin said. —Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Born on March 14, 1933, the Chicago native first rose to prominence as a trumpet player in bands for jazz music greats including Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

The pages have co-opted the branding of hacktivist movement Anonymous, an ostensibly anti-establishment group of online activists and hackers that rose to prominence in the early 2000s. —Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024

Lemire had been serving as Politico’s White House bureau chief and has risen to prominence in the Washington press corps as a regular on cable news shows. —Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin prōminentia "state of projecting or jutting out," noun derivative of prōminent-, prōminens "projecting, standing out," from present participle of prōminēre "to project beyond a surface, stick out, stick up" — more at prominent

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

1

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent : distinction

a person of prominence

2

: something (as a mountain) that is prominent

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Medical Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

: an elevation or projection on an anatomical structure (as a bone)