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)

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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.

Derived terms

• eminence
• eminent domain
• eminently
• preeminent

Related terms

• imminent
• prominent

Synonyms

• outstanding
• remarkable

Translations

remarkable, great

• Bulgarian: знаменит (bg) (znamenit)
• Czech: znamenitý m
• Dutch: voortreffelijk (nl), eminent
• French: remarquable (fr)
• German: ausgesprochen (de)
• Greek: έξοχος (el) m (éxochos), εξαίρετος (el) m (exaíretos)

• Japanese: 傑出した (ja) (kesshutsu shita)
• Latvian: redzams, izcils
• Norman: notabl'ye
• Polish: znaczący (pl) m, wspaniały (pl) m
• Portuguese: eminente (pt)
• Russian: выдаю́щийся (ru) (vydajúščijsja), знамени́тый (ru) (znamenítyj)

of a person: distinguished, noteworthy

• Arabic: بَارِز‎ (bāriz)
• Bulgarian: виден (bg) (viden), изтъкнат (bg) (iztǎknat)
• Czech: znamenitý m
• Esperanto: eminenta (eo)
• French: éminent (fr)
• German: angesehen (de)
• Greek: επιφανής (el) m, f (epifanís), διαπρεπής (el) m, f (diaprepís), διακεκριμένος (el) m (diakekriménos), εξέχων (el) m (exéchon)
• Japanese: 著名な (ja) (chomei na), (as a prefix) 名 (ja) (mei)

• Latin: ēminens
• Latvian: redzams, izcils
• Manx: ard-ennymagh
• Maori: taiea
• Polish: znakomity (pl) m, znamienity
• Portuguese: eminente (pt)
• Russian: ви́дный (ru) (vídnyj), имени́тый (ru) (imenítyj), выдаю́щийся (ru) (vydajúščijsja)
• Spanish: eminente (es)

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

• tinemen

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Latin

Verb

ēminent

1. third-person plural present active indicative of ēmineō