different between foremost vs preeminent

English

Etymology

From Old English formest, fyrmest (“earliest, first, most prominent”), from Proto-Germanic *frumistaz, from the locative stem *fur-, *fr- + the superlative suffix *-umistaz, stem ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pr-. The suffix *-umistaz was a compound suffix, created from the rarer comparative suffix *-umô (as in Old English fruma) + the regular superlative suffix *-istaz (English -est); *-umô in turn is from Proto-Indo-European *-mHo-.

Cognate with Old Frisian formest, Gothic ???????????????????????????????? (frumists). See for, first and Old English fruma for more. Partially cognate to primus, from Proto-Indo-European *pr- + Latin superlative suffix -imus, from Proto-Indo-European *-mHo-.

A comparative former was back-formed analogically, leaving the m from *-umô in place. Later the Old English suffix complex -(u)m-est was conflated with the word most through folk etymology, so that the word is now interpreted as fore +? -most.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??.m??st/
• Rhymes: -??st

Adjective

foremost (not comparable)

1. first, either in time or in space
2. Most forward; front
3. of a higher rank or position; paramount
4. (nautical) closest to the bow

Translations

Adverb

foremost (not comparable)

1. in front
2. prominently forward
3. especially; particularly
   • 2001, Chantel Laran Sawyer Lumpkin, The Influences of Assets on the Academic Achievement of African American College Students, p. 155:

     As dependent minors the foremost proximal system was family, followed by school and community.

   • 2013, Robert Woods, Evangelical Christians and Popular Culture: Pop Goes the Gospel, p. XXIX:

     Lewis is the twentieth century's foremost popular writer and the most influential public intellectual for evangelicals.

   • 2019, Louise Taylor, Alex Morgan heads USA past England into Women’s World Cup final (in The Guardian, 2 July 2019)[1]

     England head to Nice for Saturday’s third-place playoff after yet more semi-final disappointment but with heads held high having played their part in a wonderful game featuring some particularly harsh luck. Foremost among it was the marginal offside which saw an Ellen White goal disallowed and, later, a penalty miss by Steph Houghton.

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• præeminent (18?^th century)
• pre-eminent
• preëminent

Etymology

From Middle French preeminent and its source, Latin prae?min?ns, present participle of prae?min?re (“to stand out, excel”), from prae- (“pre-”) + ?min?re.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p?i???m?n?nt/

Adjective

preeminent (not comparable)

1. Exceeding others in quality or rank; of outstanding excellence, extremely notable or important. [from 15th c.]

Derived terms

• preeminence
• preeminently

Translations

Anagrams

• repinement

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin prae?min?ns.

Adjective

preeminent (masculine and feminine plural preeminents)

1. preeminent

Derived terms

• preeminentment

Related terms

• preeminència

Further reading

• “preeminent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “preeminent” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “preeminent” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “preeminent” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Romanian

Etymology

From French prééminent

Adjective

preeminent m or n (feminine singular preeminent?, masculine plural preeminen?i, feminine and neuter plural preeminente)

1. preeminent

Declension