Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Superior to or notable above all others; outstanding. synonym: famous.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Latin praeēminēns, present participle of praeēminēre, to excel : prae-, pre- + ēminēre, to stand out; see eminent.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French preeminent and its source, Latin praeēminēns, present participle of praeēminēre ("to stand out, excel"), from prae- ("pre-") + ēminēre.

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Examples

  • Toronto's exchange and its venture affiliate, the TSX Venture Exchange, are known as the preeminent places to raise capital for exploration, hosting about 1,900 energy and mining firms that raised about $29 billion in equity last year.

    London, Toronto Exchanges to Merge Phred Dvorak 2011

  • Sarah is described as preeminent in the household.

    Sarah: Midrash and Aggadah. 2009

  • Yesterday Rush Limbaugh, known as the preeminent defender of the Republicans, walked way from them, saying they don ` t speak for him anymore.

    CNN Transcript Nov 9, 2006 2006

  • Terri Windling, creator and editor of the Fairy Tale Series, has been called the preeminent fantasy editor of the present day; she is a four time winner of the World Fantasy Award for he editorial work.

    Briar Rose Yolen, Jane 1991

  • There is no one who can be called a preeminent leader of the Regulation.

    The Regulators of North Carolina (1765-1771) 1895

  • This was the first of many acquisitions, which would culminate 40 years later in what is widely known as the preeminent collection of Dalí's work in America.

    San Antonio Business News - Local San Antonio News | The San Antonio Business Journal 2010

  • In addition, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Children's Hospital Boston is nationally known as the preeminent center for the care of children and young adults with a wide range of developmental disorders and those with congenital, neuromuscular or posttraumatic problems of the musculoskeletal system.

    ParentDish Mary Beth Sammons 2010

  • This was the first of many acquisitions, which would culminate 40 years later in what is widely known as the preeminent collection of Dalí's work in America.

    Jacksonville Business News - Local Jacksonville News | Jacksonville Business Journal 2010

  • There is general agreement that the stimulus funds are only a down payment on the nation's Internet communications systems, so the FCC is trying to develop a roadmap advising policymakers on how to move forward in what many are fond of describing as the preeminent infrastructure challenge of our time.

    Internet News 2009

  • Though they're masters of Iranian classical music, they're probably best known as the preeminent exponents of Kurdish folk, preserving and polishing songs from its vast repertoire.

    unknown title 2009

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