eminent

See also: éminent

English

Etymology

From Middle French éminent, from Latin present participle eminens, eminentis, from verb ēmineō (“I project, I protrude”), from ex- (“out of, from”) + mineō, related to mons (English mount). Compare with imminent. Unrelated to emanate, which is instead from mānō (“I flow”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɛmɪnənt/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Adjective

eminent (comparative more eminent, superlative most eminent)

  1. (archaic) high, lofty; towering; prominent.
  2. noteworthy, remarkable, great
    His eminent good sense has been a godsend to this project.
  3. (of a person) distinguished, important, noteworthy
    In later years, the professor became known as an eminent historian.

Usage notes

  • Eminent and imminent are very similar sounds, and are weak rhymes; in some dialects, these may be confused. A typo of either word may result in a correction to the wrong word by spellchecking software. Eminent may also be confused with immanent, immanant, or emanate.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

  • eminent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • eminent in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • eminent at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

Latin

Verb

ēminent

  1. third-person plural present active indicative of ēmineō
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