Eminent
/ˈɛm.ɪ.nənt/noun
Famous, important, or standing out above others.
Did you know?Eminent comes from Latin *eminere*, “to stand out” or “project,” from *e-* (“out”) + *minere* (“to jut, project”), so its oldest sense is pure visibility, not prestige.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mei-
“to move, change, or go”
Latin
Latin
eminere
“to project outward, stand out”
Late Latin
Latin
eminentem
“standing out, conspicuous”
14th Century
Middle English
eminent
“prominent, lofty, outstanding”
Modern English
English
eminent
“highly distinguished or conspicuous”