the.com/preeminence
the art of being so far ahead that second place feels like a participation trophy.
means The state of surpassing all others, of standing first in rank, importance, or excellence.
from From Latin praeeminentia, built from prae- 'before, in front of' plus eminere 'to stand out, project, jut up' — the same eminere that gives us 'eminent.' At root it pictures something physically protruding above the rest, like a peak rising over the plain; it reached English through Old French in the late Middle Ages, carrying its sense of literal height into figurative loftiness.
- latin roots
- From praeeminere, to project or jut forward.
- not arrogance
- It is earned standing, not claimed swagger.
- legal weight
- Once denoted royal rights above all subjects.
- single seat
- By definition, only one thing holds it.
united states dollar — comprises ~88% of all foreign exchange reserves globally as of 2024
english language — spoken by ~1.5 billion people worldwide and dominates international business, diplomacy, and science
apple inc — holds ~$200 billion market cap and defines smartphone/tech industry standards since 2007