prominence
- 01 C1 Advanced
the state of being famous, important, or very easy to notice.
the state of being widely known, eminent, or particularly noticeable.
Simple“The young actress rose to prominence after her performance in the summer blockbuster.”
In context“The issue of climate change has gained increasing prominence in international political discourse over the last decade.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'gain', 'rise to', or 'achieve'.
SynonymsAntonymsobscurityinsignificance - 02 C1 Advanced
a part of something that sticks out or bulges from a surface.
a physical protuberance or projection from a surface or body.
Simple“The doctor felt a small bony prominence on the patient's elbow.”
In context“The architect designed the building with several stone prominences to create interesting shadows during the afternoon.”
UsageCommon in medical and architectural descriptions.
SynonymsAntonymsdepressionindentation - 03 C2 Proficiency
the height of a mountain peak compared to the lowest point around it.
the vertical distance between a peak and the lowest contour line surrounding it but containing no higher peak.
Simple“Even though the hill is small, its prominence makes it look like a mountain.”
In context“Topographic prominence is a key criterion for hikers who wish to classify a summit as an independent peak rather than a sub-peak.”
UsageUsed as an uncountable concept or a countable measurement.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
a large, bright loop of gas that sticks out from the surface of the Sun.
a large, bright, gaseous feature extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape.
Simple“The scientist used a special telescope to photograph a massive prominence on the Sun.”
In context“During the total solar eclipse, observers were able to see a vivid red prominence erupting from the solar limb.”
Synonymssolar flarefilament
“The concept of chemical submission came to prominence in France in 2024 when Gisele Pelicot's husband was found guilty of sedating her and inviting strangers to rape her while she was unconscious.”
“But other states given more prominence in the 2028 lineup have a more moderate streak.”
From obsolete French prominence (compare proéminence), from Latin prominentia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.