salient
Americanadjective
-
prominent or conspicuous.
salient traits.
- Synonyms:
- remarkable, striking, important
- Antonyms:
- unimportant, inconspicuous
-
projecting or pointing outward.
a salient angle.
-
leaping or jumping.
a salient animal.
-
Heraldry. (of a beast) represented as leaping.
a lion salient.
noun
-
a salient angle or part, as the central outward-projecting angle of a bastion or an outward projection in a battle line.
-
Physical Geography. a landform that extends out beyond its surroundings, as a spur projecting from the side of a mountain.
adjective
-
prominent, conspicuous, or striking
a salient feature
-
(esp in fortifications) projecting outwards at an angle of less than 180° Compare re-entrant
-
geometry (of an angle) pointing outwards from a polygon and hence less than 180° Compare re-entrant
-
(esp of animals) leaping
noun
-
military a projection of the forward line into enemy-held territory
-
a salient angle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of salient
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin salient-, stem of saliēns “jumping,” present participle of salīre “to spring, jump”
Explanation
If something stands out in a very obvious way, it can be called salient. It's time to find new friends if the differences between you and your current friends are becoming more and more salient. Salient, from the Latin verb salire, "to leap," was originally used in English to refer to leaping animals such as a frog or deer and may still be used this way. Often, however, it is used in math or geography to mean protruding. A salient angle juts outward rather than inward. Figuratively, it means noticeable or prominent. When giving an argument, make your most salient points at the beginning or the end.
Vocabulary lists containing salient
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Dracula
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Separate Peace
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Rarely does the movie hit on any salient points that the series hasn’t already made, opting instead to repeat narrative patterns and jerk a few tears here and there.
From Salon • Jun. 21, 2026
Right now, corruption and accountability are particularly salient for both voters and lawmakers.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
In District 3, the Palisades fire has been more salient because the district contains the conflagration’s entire burn zone.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
“The most salient point is that ‘anything but China’ and the whole mantra of ‘China is uninvestible’ died,” said says Louis Gave, co-founder of Gavekal.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
It was a river of iridescent onyx—Mrs. Shigemura described it in Japanese—the salient feature of her physical being, as prominent and extraordinary as baldness might have been in another girl of the same age.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
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.
