eminently
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
What does eminently mean? Eminently means highly or very. It’s an adverb that’s typically used to modify (describe) adjectives, especially positive ones, as in She is eminently qualified. Example: These versions are eminently better than the ones that were presented to us previously.
Etymology
Origin of eminently
First recorded in 1620–30; eminent ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Use the word eminently to emphasize a positive quality. You could describe your favorite book as eminently readable or a terrific young musician as eminently talented. The adverb eminently is now a fancy way to say "very," but it started out meaning "conspicuously" or "up in a high place," from a Latin root meaning "be prominent." You once might have described a castle on a tall hill as eminently located. Today you're more likely to use the word in a formal context, to stress a positive adjective: "She is an eminently skilled dog trainer."
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.
