Salient Meaning
/ˈseɪ.li.ənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjWorthy of note; pertinent or relevant.
adjProminent; conspicuous.
Sentence Examples
Unfortunately, munificence is not one of the salient features of my husband.
Sami was a salient suspect.
The presentation highlighted the salient points of the new project proposal.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The most ____ feature of the building is its bright red roof.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The lawyer highlighted the most ____ points of the contract during the briefing.
Word Origin & History
The heraldic sense “leaping” and the sense “projecting outward” are borrowed from Latin salientem, the accusative form of saliēns (“springing, leaping”), present participle of saliō (“leap, spring”, verb). The senses “prominent” and “pertinent” are relatively recent, and derive from the phrase salient point, which is a calque of the Latin punctum saliēns, a translation of Aristotle's term for the embryonal heart visible in (opened) eggs, which he thought seemed to move already. Compare also the German calque der springende Punkt.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"With nearer approach these fragmentary sounds became pieced together, and were found to be the salient points of the tune called "Nancy's Fancy.""
— 1878 January–December, Thomas Hardy, chapter V, in The Return of the Native […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], published 1878, →OCLC:
"The last salient point in which the systems of these creatures differed from ours was in what one might have thought a very trivial particular."
— 1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter II, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, (please specify the page number(s)):
"Warning me that many of the street signs were down, the youth drew for my benefit a rough but ample and painstaking sketch map of the town's salient features."
— 1936, H.P. Lovecraft, The Shadow Over Innsmouth:
"He [Grenville] had neither salient traits, nor general comprehensiveness of mind."
— 1834, George Bancroft, History of the United States of America, from the discovery of the American continent:
"Professionally published dictionaries do not seem to have extended coverage beyond the most frequent and salient items."
— 2018, James Lambert, “A multitude of ‘lishes’: The nomenclature of hybridity”, in English World-Wide, page 2:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The most ____ feature of the building is its bright red roof.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The lawyer highlighted the most ____ points of the contract during the briefing.