prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈprä-mə-nən(t)s 

ˈpräm-nən(t)s

1

: something prominent : projection

a rocky prominence

2

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent or conspicuous

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Synonyms

• altitude(s)
• elevation
• eminence
• height
• highland
• hill
• hump
• mound
• rise
• upland

Examples of prominence in a Sentence

The company rose to prominence in the 1990s.

The publicity has given him a prominence he doesn't deserve.

Recent Examples on the Web

Saint Laurent was catapulted to nearly immediate prominence as a design wunderkind when he was hired by Christian Dior and shortly afterwards, appointed as his replacement at the fashion house after Dior's unexpected death in 1957. —Cady Lang, TIME, 7 June 2024

Formed in Virginia Beach in 1992 by childhood friends Williams and Chad Hugo, The Neptunes quickly rose to prominence, writing and producing for artists including Teddy Riley, The Clipse, Usher, Nelly and Britney Spears. —Rishikesh Rajagopalan, CBS News, 6 June 2024

First came Taiwan, and then by the 1990s, China rose to prominence. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 June 2024

Ridley, who rose to prominence for her portrayal of Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, doesn’t shy away from publicly praising her husband’s talent. —Yasmeen Hamadeh, Peoplemag, 5 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin prōminentia "state of projecting or jutting out," noun derivative of prōminent-, prōminens "projecting, standing out," from present participle of prōminēre "to project beyond a surface, stick out, stick up" — more at prominent

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

1

: the quality, state, or fact of being prominent : distinction

a person of prominence

2

: something (as a mountain) that is prominent

3

: a mass of gas resembling a cloud that arises from the chromosphere of the sun

Medical Definition

prominence

noun

prom·​i·​nence ˈpräm(-ə)-nən(t)s 

: an elevation or projection on an anatomical structure (as a bone)