preeminence

P3R1E1E1M3I1N1E1N1C3E1
US/pɹiˈɛ.mɪˌnəns/

noun

The status of being preeminent, dominant or ascendant.

UncommonScrabble 17

Meanings

nounpreeminence (countable and uncountable, plural preeminences)

plural preeminences · alternative pre-eminence · alternative preëminence · alternative obsolete preheminence

  1. countableuncountableThe status of being preeminent, dominant or ascendant.

    Synonyms: primacy

  2. countableuncountableHigh importance; superiority.

    In an era when political leaders promise deliverance from decline through America’s purported preeminence in scientific research, the news that science is in deep trouble in the United States has been as unwelcome as a diagnosis of leukemia following the loss of health insurance.

    2012 January 28, Philip E. Mirowski, “Harms to Health from the Pursuit of Profits”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2012, page 87

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe status of being preeminent, dominant or ascendant.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounhigh status importance owing to marked superiority

Broader
high status

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpraeēminēntia
  2. Englishpreeminence

From Latin praeēminēntia.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic تَقَدُّم
  • تَقَدُّم (taqaddum)status of being preeminent
Catalan preeminència
  • preeminènciastatus of being preeminent
Chinese Mandarin 優越性 /优越性, 卓越
  • 優越性 /优越性 (yōuyuèxìng)status of being preeminent
  • 卓越 (zhuóyuè)status of being preeminent
  • 重要性 (zhòngyàoxìng)high importance
Finnish etevämmyys, paremmuus
  • etevämmyysstatus of being preeminent
  • paremmuusstatus of being preeminent
  • ylemmyyshigh importance
French prééminence
  • prééminencestatus of being preeminent
Italian preminenza
  • preminenzastatus of being preeminent
Latin praeēminēntia
  • praeēminēntiastatus of being preeminent
Persian تقدم
  • تقدم (taqaddom)status of being preeminent
Portuguese preeminência
  • preeminênciastatus of being preeminent
Romanian preeminență
  • preeminențăstatus of being preeminent
Spanish preeminencia, prestancia
  • preeminenciastatus of being preeminent
  • prestanciastatus of being preeminent
  • preeminenciahigh importance
Cite this entry
APA

preeminence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preeminence

MLA

“preeminence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preeminence. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preeminence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preeminence.

Source: preeminence on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.