When you want to talk about people and things that are the absolute best—the highest in rank, in fame, or in accomplishments—use the formal, semi-common word "preeminent."

You might talk about preeminent academic institutions like Harvard or the Smithsonian, preeminent guitarists like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, or preeminent literary symbols like rivers or roses.

You might specify that someone or something is preeminent in some field, among some others, or of some place, time, or group of people. Here's Salon: "Ayn Rand is the preeminent philosopher of teenagers." (Oof... apologies to teenagers.) Or say that someone or something is a field's preeminent expert, a country's preeminent musician, a time period's preeminent science and so on. Here's the Washington Post: "Dave Meltzer, pro wrestling's preeminent journalist."

Notice the difference in usage between "eminent" and "preeminent." Both words are high praise, but "preeminent" is higher. While we tend to talk about an eminent person or an eminent thing, it's common to talk about the preeminent person, the preeminent thing: "Some kids believe that social media stardom is the preeminent way to gain fame and fortune."

"Pre-eminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon."
  — George Orwell, Animal Farm, 1945

"The victory [against France in the Seven Years' War] made England the preeminent power in the world."
   — Charles Seife, Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, 2000

has this page helped you understand "preeminent"?

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Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "preeminent" without saying "superior" or "among the world's greatest."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) is the preeminent (master or authority) of (something)."

Example 1: "I used to think he was an insufferable know-it-all, but Ken Jennings has grown on me as the host of Jeopardy!, and now I think he might be the world's preeminent master of random trivia. I like how he sprinkles in extra tidbits as he hosts."

Example 2: "Edgar Meyer has become the preeminent master of his instrument — the double bass — earning Grammys and other awards for his diverse work."
  — Roger Catlin, Washington Post, 3 April 2015

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "It's That Thing..."

We'll play with some highly slangy, reasonably wholesome terms, courtesy of Urban Dictionary.

I'll give you three terms, and you attempt to define them. Scroll down to see the correct definitions, and give yourself a point for each term that you defined either correctly or believably.

Try these today:

1. Floordrobe

2. Wishcycle

3. Smedium

review this word:

1. One opposite of PREEMINENT is

A. OBSCURE (unknown to most people).
B. ICONIC (respected and well-known in our culture).
C. NUANCED (showing very small differences in meaning, opinion, or emotion).

2. In Big Science, Michael Hiltzik wrote that "the Rockefeller Foundation would _____ every other source as Ernest Lawrence's preeminent philanthropic sponsor."

A. rival
B. target
C. supplant

Answers to the review questions: 1. A 2. C From the game: Remember, even if you're wrong, give yourself a point for coming up with a believable definition! Here are the definitions that Urban Dictionary lists. 1. Floordrobe: "A form of storage for clothing which requires no hangers, drawers, doors or effort. Simply drop on the floor and you have a floordrobe." (I'm deeply disturbed.) 2. Wishcycle: "[To toss] questionable items in the recycling bin, hoping they can somehow be recycled." 3. Smedium: "(Usually a man's shirt) ... one size too small as to display one's muscularity."

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.