WORD OF THE DAY
Calling someone preeminent means they're truly outstanding or better than everyone else — not in general, but in a specific field or specialty. Many people consider primatologist Jane Goodall to be the preeminent expert on chimpanzees.
The adjective preeminent was first recorded in the mid-15th century and has its roots in the Latin praeeminentem, which means “to project forward, rise above.” And anything that's been described as preeminent certainly does rise above the rest. Preeminent scholars or universities or craftsmen are the best at what they do and are well known because of it.
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Vocabulary lists containing preeminent
In this memoir Jeannette Walls recounts a turbulent childhood with her eccentric and dysfunctional family.
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In the very depths of the Great Depression, a new president took office. Franklin D. Roosevelt would serve longer than any other president. He would bring the nation out of its worst economic crisis and through most of World War II. Read the full text here. This list covers paragraphs 1–6. Here are links to our lists for the speech: List 1, List 2, List 3
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Philip Geer's "Simon's Saga" includes 820 SAT-level words and gives students an entertaining glimpse into college life. Here are links to our lists for the novel: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30, Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35, Episode 36, Episode 37
