eminent

adjective

em·i·nent ˈe-mə-nənt

Synonyms of eminent next

: exhibiting eminence especially in standing above others in some quality or position : prominent

: standing out so as to be readily perceived or noted : conspicuous

: jutting out : projecting

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On Imminent and Eminent

Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling. No surprise, really, since the two, despite their very distinct meanings, come from near-identical sources. The Latin minēre means basically “to project, overhang,” and it forms the root of other Latin words. One added the prefix e-, meaning “out from,” to produce eminēre, “to stand out”; another took the prefix im-, meaning “upon,” and became imminēre, “to project.” The difference between “stand out” and “project” is obviously small. Still, even when eminent and imminent first appeared as English words in the 15th and 16th centuries respectively, they were clearly distinct in meaning, imminent’s prefix having strengthened the “overhang” sense of minēre to give the word its frequent suggestion of looming threat.

Choose the Right Synonym for eminent

famous, renowned, celebrated, noted, notorious, distinguished, eminent, illustrious mean known far and wide.

famous implies little more than the fact of being, sometimes briefly, widely and popularly known.

a famous actress

renowned implies more glory and acclamation.

one of the most renowned figures in sports history

celebrated implies notice and attention especially in print.

the most celebrated beauty of her day

noted suggests well-deserved public attention.

the noted mystery writer

notorious frequently adds to famous an implication of questionableness or evil.

a notorious gangster

distinguished implies acknowledged excellence or superiority.

a distinguished scientist who won the Nobel Prize

eminent implies even greater prominence for outstanding quality or character.

the country's most eminent writers

illustrious stresses enduring honor and glory attached to a deed or person.

illustrious war heroes

Examples of eminent in a Sentence

The trend discerned by Wilde a century ago, of course, has only accelerated in recent years, as the line between trashy celebrity exposés and serious biographies of eminent artists, statesmen and thinkers has grown increasingly blurred. —

Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 20 May 1994

Next year sees the 150th anniversary of the 'invention' of the dinosaurs by the eminent English anatomist and palaeontologist, Richard Owen. —

Nicholas Fraser, Nature, 20 & 27 Dec. 1990

many eminent surgeons are on the hospital's staff

Recent Examples on the Web Greek tragedies are often about eminent families, the better to explore the combustible mix of familial conflict and political struggle. —

Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Until 2006, his statue was one of two of eminent Californians to stand in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. —

Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 In the early years, after the death of William’s first wife, Eliza was the de facto lady of the house, hosting dinners for William’s eminent literary colleagues. —

Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2023 In 1947 another eminent theorist, Julian Schwinger, worked out what was happening: the electron was being jostled by the photon. —

Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2023 One of his more recent subjects was the eminent music producer Clive Davis, who first suggested inviting Styles to swing by. —

Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2023 The humble vagabond’s pose while asking for alms conjures these and countless other hand-in-jacket portraits of emperors, gentlemen, generals and eminent leaders, especially from the 17th and 18th centuries. —

Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2023 Over the past 2,000 years, Buddhist teachings have encountered distortions and alterations due to mistranslation and misinterpretation of Buddha-dharma by Buddhist patriarchs, eminent monastics, and Buddhist scholars. —

Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023 For the eminent literary critic, there are few accomplishments more meaningful than producing a full-fledged theory of the novel. —

Jacob Brogan, Washington Post, 18 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eminent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "standing out, exceed other things in quality or degree," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, "high, lofty" (also continental Old French), borrowed from Latin ēminent-, ēminens "standing out above a surface, projecting, outstanding in merit or importance," from present participle of ēminēre "to stick out, protrude, project, be preeminent, excel," from ē-, variant of ex- ex- entry 1 + -minēre, taken to mean "stand out, rise above" (unattested without a prefix) — more at minatory

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of eminent was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century