prominence

American  

[prom-uh-nuhns] / ˈprɒm ə nəns /

noun

prominences plural

1. Also prominency. the state of being prominent; conspicuousness.

2. something that is prominent; a projection or protuberance.

   a prominence high over a ravine.

   Synonyms:

   peak, precipice, height, promontory

3. 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.

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prominence British  

/ ˈprɒmɪnəns /

noun

1. the state or quality of being prominent

2. something that is prominent, such as a protuberance

3. relative importance or consequence

4. 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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prominence Scientific  

/ prŏm′ə-nəns /

1. 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.

2. ◆ Active prominences erupt suddenly and usually disappear within minutes or hours. Quiescent prominences form more smoothly and can last for several months.

3. See also solar flare

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprominence
  noun
• overprominence
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prominences
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

And despite its prominence in school curriculum, young people in particular are ignorant of their country’s history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

That prospect was growing dimmer a few years later when playwrights such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Lynn Nottage came into prominence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

Anderson's first steps in football came playing with his two elder brothers Louie and Wil, the latter gaining prominence as a contestant on reality TV show Love Island.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

Pakistan and Qatar have gained international prominence as mediators in the Iran-US deal, with the two nations issuing a joint statement to mark the conclusion of the first round of talks.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

When I said Montgomery, they launched into a lecture about Monroeville’s prominence as a result of Harper Lee and her famous novel.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• celebrity
• eminence
• fame
• greatness
• importance
• prestige
• renown
• reputation
• standing