Eminent

How to spell eminent

7 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce eminent

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does eminent mean?

1. adjectiveFamous, respected, and standing out as superior within a particular field.

Eminent in a sentence

• The conference attracted an eminent surgeon who had pioneered the procedure.

• She became the most eminent economist of her generation.

Where does eminent come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin eminentem, the present participle of eminere, which literally meant 'to stand out' or 'to project' (from the prefix e-, a form of ex- meaning 'out', and minere, 'to jut or rise'). In its earliest use it described a physical feature that literally rose above its surroundings, such as a hill or a prominence; the same min root sits behind 'prominent' and even the geographical 'promontory'. English took the word in during the fifteenth century, and the sense soon shifted from physically projecting to figuratively standing out: distinguished, renowned, lofty in rank or achievement. The spelling trap is the near-twin 'imminent', meaning about to happen, which descends from a different Latin verb (imminere, 'to overhang or threaten'); keeping the opening e- in mind, as in 'excellent and exalted', helps separate eminent from its menacing cousin.

How the word is built

• e- (out, from ex-)
• min (to project, stand out, from minere)
• -ent (adjective suffix)