preeminent
Americanadjective
Usage
What does preeminent mean? Preeminent means extremely distinguished, outstanding, or superior to all (or the majority of) others. The word eminent means high in station, rank, or reputation. Someone who is considered eminent is usually both well-known and well-respected, especially within a particular field. Preeminent means extremely eminent—famed and respected above all or most. Eminent is often applied to scholars who are viewed as experts in their field, with preeminent being used to describe the most distinguished or respected ones—or perhaps one. The state of being preeminent is preeminence. Preeminent is sometimes spelled with a hyphen (pre-eminent), perhaps to make it easier to read. Example: He is the preeminent professor of this topic and his expertise is world-renowned.
Related Words
See dominant.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preeminent
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin praeēminent- (stem of praeēminēns ), present participle of praeēminēre to project forward, be prominent. See pre-, eminent
Explanation
Calling someone preeminent means they're truly outstanding or better than everyone else — not in general, but in a specific field or specialty. Many people consider primatologist Jane Goodall to be the preeminent expert on chimpanzees. The adjective preeminent was first recorded in the mid-15th century and has its roots in the Latin praeeminentem, which means “to project forward, rise above.” And anything that's been described as preeminent certainly does rise above the rest. Preeminent scholars or universities or craftsmen are the best at what they do and are well known because of it.
Vocabulary lists containing preeminent
The Glass Castle
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Just Mercy
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address (March 4, 1933), List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Preeminent First Amendment champion Floyd Abrams settled that debate by filing in support of MAD’s petition.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2025
Preeminent among them was Hang Tuah, who spoke multiple languages including Arabic, Persian, and Mandarin and was adept in the use of numerous weapons.
From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022
Preeminent in Pulley’s vivid cast is the fascinating and appalling Resovskaya, whose coldblooded pursuit of her scientific aims drives the plot.
From Washington Post • Jul. 24, 2022
In 2014, he co-authored the memoir “Eddie: The Life and Times of America’s Preeminent Bad Boy.”
From Fox News • Jun. 9, 2020
Preeminent among the hickories which have produced nuts, stands the Weschcke variety, which has borne the greatest quantity with the most regularity.
From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946 by Northern Nut Growers Association
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
