salient

American  

[sey-lee-uhnt, seyl-yuhnt] / ˈseɪ li ənt, ˈseɪl jənt /

adjective

1. prominent or conspicuous.

   salient traits.

   Synonyms:

   remarkable, striking, important

   Antonyms:

   unimportant, inconspicuous

2. projecting or pointing outward.

   a salient angle.

3. leaping or jumping.

   a salient animal.

4. Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping.

   a lion salient.

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noun

• salients
  plural

1. a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line.

2. Physical Geography. a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain.

salient British  

/ ˈseɪlɪənt /

adjective

1. prominent, conspicuous, or striking

   a salient feature

2. (esp in fortifications) projecting outwards at an angle of less than 180° Compare re-entrant

3. geometry (of an angle) pointing outwards from a polygon and hence less than 180° Compare re-entrant

4. (esp of animals) leaping

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noun

1. military a projection of the forward line into enemy-held territory

2. a salient angle

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• salience
  noun
• unsalient
  adjective
• saliently
  adverb
• unsaliently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• salients
  plural

Etymology

Origin of salient

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin salient-, stem of saliēns “jumping,” present participle of salīre “to spring, jump”

Explanation

If something stands out in a very obvious way, it can be called salient. It's time to find new friends if the differences between you and your current friends are becoming more and more salient. Salient, from the Latin verb salire, "to leap," was originally used in English to refer to leaping animals such as a frog or deer and may still be used this way. Often, however, it is used in math or geography to mean protruding. A salient angle juts outward rather than inward. Figuratively, it means noticeable or prominent. When giving an argument, make your most salient points at the beginning or the end.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

salient salients

The players association presumably recognizes the most salient fact about the owners’ approach to labor relations, which is their history of of treating the players like peons and lying.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Rarely does the movie hit on any salient points that the series hasn’t already made, opting instead to repeat narrative patterns and jerk a few tears here and there.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

Right now, corruption and accountability are particularly salient for both voters and lawmakers.

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

“The most salient point is that ‘anything but China’ and the whole mantra of ‘China is uninvestible’ died,” said says Louis Gave, co-founder of Gavekal.

From Barron's ● May 15, 2026

But the most salient historical fact cannot be avoided: No one stepped forward to call their bluff.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

One of Chiang's armies had been cut off, and two others that tried to rescue it had exposed salients.

From Time Magazine Archive

Like a general staff's war maps, the charts were studded with varicolored pins, indicating danger points, quiet sectors or advancing salients in the industrial front.

From Time Magazine Archive

The heaviest fighting was apparently concentrated at the cutting edge of two bulging Chinese salients.

From Time Magazine Archive

Or he might have thought, not without satisfaction, of the banking career whose compact pattern knits these scattered salients.

From Time Magazine Archive

The South African sun is ruthless to exposed complexions, and has an unhappy way of showing up the presence of thick pastes and creams which have been worked into contours in danger of becoming salients.

From Blue Aloes Stories of South Africa by Cynthia Stockley

Related Words

• arresting
• conspicuous
• pertinent
• weighty