prominence

American  

[prom-uh-nuhns] / ˈprɒm ə nəns /

noun

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

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

Chief communications officers are gaining prominence in the C-suite, with nearly half reporting directly to chief executive officers in 2025.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

A former lawmaker and party leader, she shot to prominence when she became first lady at 19, after her mother broke with her father amid corruption scandals.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

The name "Shaolin Temple" has gained prominence in pop culture over the years, including being the title of a 1982 film starring Jet Li.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

But Pratt got a second shot at reality fame on the MTV show “The Hills,” rising to prominence as the boyfriend — now husband— of Heidi Montag.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Each is foreshadowed by an earlier century, but dazzles into full prominence in the twentieth.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

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