definitions

salient

[ sey-lee-uhnt, seyl-yuhnt ]
/ ˈseɪ li ənt, ˈseɪl yənt /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR salient ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

prominent or conspicuous: salient traits.
projecting or pointing outward: a salient angle.
leaping or jumping: a salient animal.
Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping: a lion salient.

noun

a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line.
Physical Geography. a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain.Compare reentrant(def 4).

RELATED CONTENT

Misogyny vs. SexismWith the recent #MeToo and Times Up movements, equality and the empowerment of women have become household conversations around the world. Everyone from your next-door neighbor to your favorite high-school teacher have likely joined the discussion, using a brand new set of vocabulary including the words misogyny and sexism. While these two terms may seem similar, there are actually several differences that make them stand …
READ MORE
What Word Is Your State Looking Up On Father’s Day?Here are the search terms that trended in each state for Father’s Day, 2018. And, compared to our moms, the words tell a very different tale.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

arresting, pertinent, conspicuous, weighty, signal, notable, jutting, striking, famous, impressive, intrusive, marked, moving, obtrusive, obvious, outstanding, projecting, prominent, pronounced, remarkable

Nearby words

salicylic, salicylic acid, salicylism, salience, saliency, salient, salientian, saliently, salieri, salieri, antonio, saliferous

Origin of salient

1555–65; < Latin salient- (stem of saliēns, present participle of salīre to spring, jump), equivalent to sali- verb stem + -ent- -ent
Related formssa·li·ent·ly, adverbun·sa·li·ent, adjectiveun·sa·li·ent·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for salient

British Dictionary definitions for salient

salient

/ (ˈseɪlɪənt) /

adjective

prominent, conspicuous, or strikinga salient feature
(esp in fortifications) projecting outwards at an angle of less than 180°Compare re-entrant (def. 1)
geometry (of an angle) pointing outwards from a polygon and hence less than 180°Compare re-entrant (def. 2)
(esp of animals) leaping

noun

military a projection of the forward line into enemy-held territory
a salient angle
Derived Formssalience or saliency, nounsaliently, adverb

Word Origin for salient

C16: from Latin salīre to leap
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