preeminence

noun

pre·​em·​i·​nence prē-ˈe-mə-nən(t)s How to pronounce preeminence (audio)
: the quality or state of being preeminent : superiority

Examples of preeminence in a Sentence

the restaurant is known for the preeminence of its seafood dishes some historians contended that no nation had attained such undisputed preeminence since the glory days of the Roman Empire
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e, it is structured somewhat similarly to the Apollo program that previously gave the U.S. lunar preeminence, adjusted to modern technology and science objectives. Thomas Zurbuchen, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 Getty Images One thing that US politicians seem to agree on, despite a great many other differences, is that the country needs to lead technologically to maintain a position of economic and geopolitical preeminence. Will Knight, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024 Johnson communicated urgency about the changes that need to happen for the U.S. to maintain its preeminence. The Editors, National Review, 10 July 2024 The first priority was to make sure diplomats understood what was at stake as the US and its rivals compete for global preeminence on tech issues. Eric Geller, WIRED, 2 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for preeminence 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preeminence was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near preeminence

Cite this Entry

“Preeminence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preeminence. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

preeminence

noun
pre·​em·​i·​nence prē-ˈem-ə-nən(t)s How to pronounce preeminence (audio)
: the quality or state of being preeminent

More from Merriam-Webster on preeminence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!