preeminent

Or pre-em·i·nent

[pree-em-uh-nuhnt]

adjective

1. eminent above or before others; superior; surpassing.

   He is preeminent in his profession.

   Synonyms: supreme, peerless, distinguished

Other Word Forms

• preeminently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of preeminent¹

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin praeēminent- (stem of praeēminēns ), present participle of praeēminēre to project forward, be prominent. See pre-, eminent

Synonym Study

See dominant.

Related Words

• distinguished 
• dominant 
• main 
• outstanding 
• peerless 
• predominant 
• renowned 
• transcendent 
• ultimate 

When To Use

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.