preeminence

noun

pre·​em·​i·​nence prē-ˈe-mə-nən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being preeminent : superiority

Synonyms

• choiceness
• distinction
• excellence
• excellency
• first-rateness
• greatness
• perfection
• primeness
• superbness
• superiority
• supremacy

Examples of preeminence in a Sentence

the restaurant is known for the preeminence of its seafood dishes

some historians contended that no nation had attained such undisputed preeminence since the glory days of the Roman Empire

Recent Examples on the Web

Named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e, it is structured somewhat similarly to the Apollo program that previously gave the U.S. lunar preeminence, adjusted to modern technology and science objectives. —Thomas Zurbuchen, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024

Getty Images One thing that US politicians seem to agree on, despite a great many other differences, is that the country needs to lead technologically to maintain a position of economic and geopolitical preeminence. —Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024

Johnson communicated urgency about the changes that need to happen for the U.S. to maintain its preeminence. —The Editors, National Review, 10 July 2024

The first priority was to make sure diplomats understood what was at stake as the US and its rivals compete for global preeminence on tech issues. —Eric Geller, WIRED, 2 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

preeminence

noun

pre·​em·​i·​nence prē-ˈem-ə-nən(t)s 

: the quality or state of being preeminent