eminently
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
What does eminently mean? Eminently means highly or very. It’s an adverb that’s typically used to modify (describe) adjectives, especially positive ones, as in She is eminently qualified. Example: These versions are eminently better than the ones that were presented to us previously.
Etymology
Origin of eminently
First recorded in 1620–30; eminent ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Use the word eminently to emphasize a positive quality. You could describe your favorite book as eminently readable or a terrific young musician as eminently talented. The adverb eminently is now a fancy way to say "very," but it started out meaning "conspicuously" or "up in a high place," from a Latin root meaning "be prominent." You once might have described a castle on a tall hill as eminently located. Today you're more likely to use the word in a formal context, to stress a positive adjective: "She is an eminently skilled dog trainer."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
White House Spokesman Kush Desai says “Phelan is an eminently qualified pick to run the CEA and build on the tremendous legacy of Miran and Yared.”
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
On paper at least, Arsenal's two other games at home to mid-table Bournemouth and Newcastle look eminently winnable, while City visit Chelsea and host another Champions League-chasing side Aston Villa on the final day.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
The war is a distant drumbeat, its threat ever audible to Steele’s underemployed, eminently draftable characters from 9,000 miles away.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Cologne is a personal choice, true — but it’s eminently regiftable, after one surreptitious spray, and it’s a luxury that can feel too extravagant to purchase for oneself, especially in a climate of economic uncertainty.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 17, 2026
Though this process seemed to me eminently fair — and also humorous — Tefu was still unhappy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
