prominence

[ prom-uh-nuhns ]

See synonyms for prominence on Thesaurus.com

noun

Also prom·i·nen·cy. the state of being prominent; conspicuousness.
something that is prominent; a projection or protuberance: a prominence high over a ravine.

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.

Origin of prominence

First recorded in 1590–1600, prominence is from the Latin word prōminentia a jutting out, protuberance. See prominent, -ence

Other words for prominence

2	promontory, height, precipice, peak

See synonyms for prominence on Thesaurus.com

Other words from prominence

non·prom·i·nence, noun
o·ver·prom·i·nence, noun

Words Nearby prominence

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prominence in a sentence

Cuisinart rose to prominence thanks to a close association with celebrity chefs in the 1970s.
Best toaster: Get perfectly golden slices every time | PopSci Commerce Team | February 10, 2021 | Popular-Science
Frontloading your title tag with your target keyword increases that keyword’s prominence, giving more weight to its importance.
Five hacks to enhance your organic CTR and rankings in SERPs | Karl Tablante | January 27, 2021 | Search Engine Watch
YouTube’s prominence for NBC News rose as the revenue the platform earned increased.
How NBC News is making ‘many millions’ of dollars on YouTube after adjusting its strategy | Tim Peterson | January 26, 2021 | Digiday
Whatever prominences and other shapes in the corona are visible to observers on Earth will be headed right at the spacecraft.
The Parker Solar Probe will have company on its next pass by the sun | Lisa Grossman | January 15, 2021 | Science News
This type of model isn’t that progressive, but the ability to implement it is far ahead of where it was during previous economic downturns thanks to the prominence of tech platforms.
Taking remuneration seriously: the time has come | Seb Joseph | December 30, 2020 | Digiday

Being something of a political cipher may have helped Revels rise to prominence.
The Black Man Who Replaced Jefferson Davis in the Senate | Philip Dray | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
He first rose to prominence as a lawyer in Queens, who settled a boiling racial dispute over public housing in Forest Hills.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person | Michael Tomasky | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
This puts them at odds with the countless polytheistic religions, where many gods compete for prominence.
Does Pope Francis Believe Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? | Jay Parini | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The opposite phenomenon also occurs: neglected writers who ascend to prominence only posthumously.
The Birth of the Novel | Nick Romeo | November 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He also gave unique prominence to Turkey in issues of state.
The 20th-Century Dictator Most Idolized by Hitler | William O’Connor | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The cruelty hidden in the beautiful lines of his mouth took instant prominence in the smile that flickered round it.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
Old "Si Waterman's Folly," as the rumored "mine" was called, seemed to be coming into sudden prominence.
Dorothy at Skyrie | Evelyn Raymond
The Homestead developments had given him temporary prominence, thrown this particular hydra-head into bold relief, so to speak.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander Berkman
He placed it in prominence, instinctively or designedly, rejecting the merely complementary parts.
Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile Gautier
Keep the background in value as regards prominence and relief of objects as well as in the matter of color.
The Painter in Oil | Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst

British Dictionary definitions for prominence

prominence

/ (ˈprɒmɪnəns) /

noun

the state or quality of being prominent
something that is prominent, such as a protuberance

relative importance or consequence
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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for prominence

prominence

[ prŏm′ə-nəns ]

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.♦ Active prominences erupt suddenly and usually disappear within minutes or hours. Quiescent prominences form more smoothly and can last for several months. See also solar flare.

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