PRE-EM'INENCE, noun 1. Superiority in excellence; distinction in something commendable; as pre-eminence in honor or virtue; pre-eminence in eloquence, in legal attainments or in medical skill. The preeminence of christianity to any other religious scheme-- 2. Precedence; priority of place; superiority in rank or dignity. That in all things he might have the preeminence. Colossians 1:1. Painful preeminence! yourself to view Above life's weakness and its comforts too. 3. Superiority of power or influence. 4. Sometimes in a bad sense; as pre-eminence in guilt or crime.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI