1
: moving by leaps or springs : jumping
2
: jetting upward
a salient fountain
3
a
: projecting beyond a line, surface, or level
b
: standing out conspicuously : prominent
especially
: of notable significance
similar to … Prohibition, but there are a couple of salient differences —
Tony Gibbs
Tony Gibbs
saliently
adverb
: something (such as a promontory) that projects outward or upward from its surroundings
especially
: an outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense
Did you know?
Salient first popped up in English as a word referring to the act of leaping. It is from the Latin verb salire, which means "to leap." Today, salient is usually used to describe things that "leap out," such as the salient features of a painting or the salient points in an argument.
Examples of salient in a Sentence
Adjective
Then there were those who doubted the need for radio in the first place, since the telegraph was already ubiquitous. Marconi's salient achievement was to realize that radio waves could be transmitted across vast distances, an incalculable step forward in mass communications.
—Kevin Baker, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006
A 2002 study conducted at the University of Illinois by Diener and Seligman found that the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.
—Claudia Wallis, Time, 17 Jan. 2005
The difference between the people Liebling chose to write about and today's celebrity culture is the difference between the "profile" and the "portrait." A profile is an outline, a concise rendering of the most salient facts, though the facts may be inessential and even inaccurate in their generality. … A portrait, on the other hand, is a revelation, an exposure.
—Lee Siegel, Harper's, December 2004
Kermeen cites "a book published in 1882" that says of ghosts at the Myrtles: "The lights are never extinguished at the plantation. When the lights are all out, something always happens." Kermeen does not further identify this book (another source says it was published "in 1900"), but the salient point here is that it apparently did not mention the Chloe tale. That suggests it was probably unknown until relatively recently.
—Joe Nickell, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2003
Noun
The attempts of the Teutonic armies to envelop and destroy some portion of the Russian forces involved the creation of several dangerous salients in the Russian line, followed by an endeavor to close the neck of each salient by attacks from both sides and so to isolate the armies forming its apex.
—Douglas Wilson Johnson, Topography and Strategy in the War, 1917
Kevin Baker, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006
A 2002 study conducted at the University of Illinois by Diener and Seligman found that the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.
—Claudia Wallis, Time, 17 Jan. 2005
The difference between the people Liebling chose to write about and today's celebrity culture is the difference between the "profile" and the "portrait." A profile is an outline, a concise rendering of the most salient facts, though the facts may be inessential and even inaccurate in their generality. … A portrait, on the other hand, is a revelation, an exposure.
—Lee Siegel, Harper's, December 2004
Kermeen cites "a book published in 1882" that says of ghosts at the Myrtles: "The lights are never extinguished at the plantation. When the lights are all out, something always happens." Kermeen does not further identify this book (another source says it was published "in 1900"), but the salient point here is that it apparently did not mention the Chloe tale. That suggests it was probably unknown until relatively recently.
—Joe Nickell, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2003
Noun
The attempts of the Teutonic armies to envelop and destroy some portion of the Russian forces involved the creation of several dangerous salients in the Russian line, followed by an endeavor to close the neck of each salient by attacks from both sides and so to isolate the armies forming its apex.
—Douglas Wilson Johnson, Topography and Strategy in the War, 1917
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Solender, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Immigration is a very salient political issue in England, however, and the new Labour government has carried over their Conservative predecessors' pledge to reduce overall net migration.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
David Axe, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
The brigade led the Russian attack on the western edge of the Ukrainian salient last week, initially advancing several miles—and capturing those unfortunate drone operators—before Ukrainian counterattacks blunted its momentum.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for salient 
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illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Adjective
Between the lines: Although Democrats have pushed back on the notion that the comment is a salient issue on the campaign trail, the backlash has been enough to force Harris to respond.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Immigration is a very salient political issue in England, however, and the new Labour government has carried over their Conservative predecessors' pledge to reduce overall net migration.
—Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
The Russian navy’s 810th Naval Infantry Brigade is responsible for the main counterattack along the salient’s eastern edge.
—David Axe, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
The brigade led the Russian attack on the western edge of the Ukrainian salient last week, initially advancing several miles—and capturing those unfortunate drone operators—before Ukrainian counterattacks blunted its momentum.
—David Axe, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for salient
Dictionary Entries Near salient
Cite this Entry
“Salient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salient. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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