prominence
Americannoun
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prominences
plural
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Also prominency. the state of being prominent; conspicuousness.
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something that is prominent; a projection or protuberance.
a prominence high over a ravine.
- Synonyms:
- peak, precipice, height, promontory
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Also called solar prominence. Astronomy. an eruption of a flamelike tongue of relatively cool, high-density gas from the solar chromosphere into the corona where it can be seen during a solar eclipse or by observing strong spectral lines in its emission spectrum.
noun
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the state or quality of being prominent
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something that is prominent, such as a protuberance
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relative importance or consequence
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astronomy an eruption of incandescent gas from the sun's surface that can reach an altitude of several hundred thousand kilometres. Prominences are visible during a total eclipse. When viewed in front of the brighter solar disc, they are called filaments
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An eruption of tonguelike clouds of glowing ionized gas extending from the Sun's chromosphere and sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands of kilometers into space. When viewed against the solar surface instead of along the edges of its disk, prominences appear as dark, sinuous lines known as filaments. Usually associated with sunspot activity, solar prominences can influence Earth's atmosphere by interfering with electromagnetic activity.
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◆ Active prominences erupt suddenly and usually disappear within minutes or hours. Quiescent prominences form more smoothly and can last for several months.
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See also solar flare
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of prominence
First recorded in 1590–1600, prominence is from the Latin word prōminentia a jutting out, protuberance. See prominent, -ence
Explanation
Prominence has to do with importance. If a band becomes famous, they've come into prominence. Prominence is a type of importance: if you put a statue in the middle of a room, you're giving it a place of prominence. In movies, music, and sports, the most successful people have great prominence — they're prominent or famous. Anything that juts out or sticks out has prominence. Whether prominence comes from being widely known or just being hard to miss, you can't really ignore anything or anybody that has achieved prominence.
Vocabulary lists containing prominence
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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.
See Examples For:
His seemingly remarkable life story added to his prominence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Experts say the test for Airbnb going forward will be driving growth in its travel offerings without diluting the “travel like a local” identity that brought the company to prominence.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The band members said they considered what to do at that moment of national prominence but that they hoped the music would speak for itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
John Adams rose to prominence in 1770 by courageously defending British soldiers charged in the Boston Massacre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
But long before Pacheco’s indestructible sow rose to prominence in the townsfolk’s fertile imaginations, another phantom was born to roam through the Miracle Valley wreaking all manner of curious havoc.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
And for those looking closely they may have seen small loops of pink gas called prominences following the Sun's turbulent magnetic field.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Another feature that can be seen are flame-like structures called prominences on the edge of the sun, showing up in contrast to the white light of the corona.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
“Solar prominences, corona, oh my god!” he said.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
You should also avoid shoes with seams or hard materials that may rub and place pressure on bony prominences.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 15, 2021
Violent solar storms produce brilliant flares that disrupt radio communications on Earth; and immense arching plumes of hot gas, guided by the Sun’s magnetic field, the solar prominences, which dwarf the Earth.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
