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

See Examples For:

prominence prominences

While dogs’ physical health has historically received more attention because its decline is so visible, cognitive dysfunction—a range of conditions that some vets describe as dog dementia—is now gaining prominence.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Khan came to prominence as a Columbia University professor critical of Amazon, arguing that its practices were monopolistic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

As the chief negotiator for Hamas, Hayya gained international prominence by leading the group's delegations at indirect ceasefire talks, meeting mediators in Egypt and Qatar.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Otero Alcantara, a self-taught performance artist, sculptor and painter, rose to prominence in 2020 as leader of the San Isidro protest movement of artists and intellectuals.

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

He was next to the Mayor in prominence, and made better talking.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

Another feature that can be seen are flame-like structures called prominences on the edge of the sun, showing up in contrast to the white light of the corona.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2024

“Solar prominences, corona, oh my god!” he said.

From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2023

You should also avoid shoes with seams or hard materials that may rub and place pressure on bony prominences.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 15, 2021

Some stars might be visible, too, but I prefer to stare at the corona and the bright red prominences extending out from the surface into the corona.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2017

Violent solar storms produce brilliant flares that disrupt radio communications on Earth; and immense arching plumes of hot gas, guided by the Sun’s magnetic field, the solar prominences, which dwarf the Earth.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

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