prominent

[prom-uh-nuhnt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prominent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

standing out so as to be seen easily; conspicuous; particularly noticeable: Her eyes are her most prominent feature.

standing out beyond the adjacent surface or line; projecting.

leading, important, or well-known: a prominent citizen.

Origin of prominent

1535–45; < Latin prōminent- (stem of prōminēns), present participle of prominēre to project, stand out, equivalent to pro- pro-¹ + -minēre; see imminent

Related formsprom·i·nent·ly, adverbnon·prom·i·nent, adjectivenon·prom·i·nent·ly, adverbo·ver·prom·i·nent, adjectiveo·ver·prom·i·nent·ly, adverb

Synonyms for prominent

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prominent ON THESAURUS.COM

2. protruding, jutting, protuberant. 3. eminent, celebrated, famous, famed, distinguished.

Antonyms for prominent

1. inconspicuous. 2. recessed. 3. unknown.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for prominent

outstanding, respected, renowned, preeminent, leading, notable, eminent, noted, well-known, popular, great, notorious, distinguished, big-name, bulging, extended, eye-catching, flashy, hilly, jutting

Examples from the Web for prominent

Contemporary Examples of prominent

So then-President George H.W. Bush and other prominent Republicans endorsed Treen in the House runoff.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise
Jason Berry
January 3, 2015
Failure to bond to their parents was the prominent reason children were being given away.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking
Tina Traster
December 30, 2014
Both Boledi and Ahwazi have been prominent critics of Tehran for decades.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan
Umar Farooq
December 29, 2014
But the abuse continues at the hands of some of the most prominent “Western” gurus today.
Australia’s Underage Yoga Sex Cult: The Survivors Speak Out
Lizzie Crocker
December 9, 2014
Now that giving thanks to God no longer plays a prominent role in American civic life, Whom or What do we thank on Thanksgiving?
Up to a Point: Thanks to the Biggest Turkey, Uncle Sam
P. J. O’Rourke
November 27, 2014

Historical Examples of prominent

Why, our movements have been as prominent and open as the house-tops from the beginning.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
It has the grand and prominent virtue of being at once and easily skippable.
Joseph Andrews Vol. 1
Henry Fielding
But he was prominent in nothing, for prominence was to him a thing like bodily pain.
Alarms and Discursions
G. K. Chesterton
Perhaps the most prominent of these was his passion for boat-sailing.
A Dish Of Orts
George MacDonald
I once went into the woods with a prominent college athlete.
The Forest
Stewart Edward White

British Dictionary definitions for prominent

prominent

adjective

jutting or projecting outwards

standing out from its surroundings; noticeable

widely known; eminent

Derived Formsprominently, adverbprominentness, noun

Word Origin for prominent

C16: from Latin prōminēre to jut out, from pro- 1 + ēminēre to project

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

Word Origin and History for prominent

adj.

mid-15c., "projecting, jutting out," from Latin prominentem (nominative prominens) "prominent," present participle of prominere "jut or stand out, be prominent, overhang," from pro- "before, forward" (see pro-) + minere "to project," from minae "projections, threats" (see menace (n.)). Meaning "conspicuous" is from 1759; that of "notable, leading" is from 1849. Related: Prominently.

prominent in Medicine

prominent

[prŏm′ə-nənt]

adj.

Projecting outward or upward; protuberant.

Immediately noticeable; conspicuous.