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

EcoHealth, a preeminent virus research nonprofit organization, has come under significant scrutiny since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic due to its research on bat coronaviruses conducted at the WIV, funded by the National Institutes of Health starting in 2014. —Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 June 2024

Groups can spend even more time at Francis Ford Coppola Winery, where the spotlight is on the preeminent director’s many wines, but offerings also include two swimming pools, a full-service restaurant, bocce, and movie memorabilia. —Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2024

Instead, Intel is waging a heroic effort to regain its place as the world’s preeminent maker of leading edge chips. —Bygeoff Colvin, Fortune, 20 June 2024

Kansas City’s preeminent party vendors are scurrying about a rooftop lounge that overlooks the city’s new ferris wheel, all in preparation for celebrating the birthday of their hometown hero. —Dianna Mazzone Singh, Allure, 18 June 2024

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

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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