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 For a decade and a half, the Cardinal stood alongside Arizona and UCLA as the preeminent programs in the West. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 But no amount of time away from the sci-fi world could ever threaten his place as a preeminent master of the genre. Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 Dudley North, the Earl of Guilford, acquired the estate at the beginning of the 18th century and tapped Humphrey Repton, a preeminent landscape designer of the time, to extensively renovate the property. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 That gives unduly short shrift to the preeminent role the Constitution assigns to states in conducting elections to federal office. The Editors, National Review, 5 Mar. 2024 Designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka's preeminent 20th-century architect, the space flows like an Indian Ocean breeze, right down to the show-stopping infinity pool. Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Mar. 2024 Photo: Courtesy of Design Miami Don’t be fooled by the name: Design Miami—the world’s preeminent fair for collectible design—is going far beyond Florida. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024 Inside, all of the flooring was imported from the Cotswolds, one of England’s preeminent countryside destinations, and there are a total of five stately fireplaces. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 Pushing past her fear, Fitzgerald delivered a performance that helped launch her iconic career, which spanned the 20th century, shaped the American songbook, and established Fitzgerald as one of the preeminent singers of the modern era. Joan Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preeminent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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