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'Eminent' describes a person of outstanding reputation in a field; 'imminent' describes something that is about to happen very soon.
Side-by-side comparison
"Eminent" describes someone distinguished, famous, or highly respected in their field. An eminent scientist, an eminent writer.
The eminent scientist received the Nobel Prize for her work on gene editing.
An eminent panel of judges was assembled to evaluate the architectural designs.
She is an eminent authority on medieval literature and regularly consults for museums.
"Imminent" describes something that is about to happen very soon. "Danger is imminent" = danger is about to arrive.
With the deadline imminent, the team worked through the night to finish.
The meteorologist warned that a severe storm was imminent and advised residents to prepare.
A merger announcement appeared imminent after weeks of closed-door negotiations.
Common mistake
- •"An imminent scientist" when meaning a distinguished one is wrong: "eminent" describes someone of outstanding reputation.
- •"Imminent" describes something about to happen very soon.
- •"The announcement is eminent" is also wrong: the soon-to-happen announcement takes "imminent".
Trick to remember it
- •"Eminent" has EMIN like "pre-eminent", standing above others.
- •"Imminent" has IMMIN like "immediate", happening right now, no delay.
Quick rule
- •Is it the person of outstanding reputation? "Eminent".
- •Is it something about to happen very soon? "Imminent".
Did you know?
"Eminent domain" (the government's right to seize private property for public use) and "imminent danger" (the legal threshold for defensive force) are both legal terms that keep these words in constant use, and constant confusion, in law and journalism. Etymology: "eminent" comes from Latin "eminere" (to stand out, to rise above), same root as "prominent". "Imminent" comes from Latin "imminere" (to overhang, to threaten), the image is of something hanging over you, about to fall. The spatial difference (rising above vs looming above) captures each word's essence.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The _____ professor gave a fascinating lecture on climate science.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The storm is _____. Everyone should stay indoors. It will hit within the hour.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy