salient

salient

 
adjective|SAIL-yunt
 
What It Means
 
Something described as salient is very important or noticeable.
 
// The assignment was to write down the most salient points made in the article.
 
// One salient feature of the band's music is the variety of different genres it incorporates into a singular sound.

salient
1 of 2
adjective
sa·;lient ;s;-ly;nt  -l;-;nt
Synonyms of salient
1
: moving by leaps or springs : jumping
2
: jetting upward
a salient fountain
3
a
: projecting beyond a line, surface, or level
b
: standing out conspicuously : prominent
especially : of notable significance
similar to … Prohibition, but there are a couple of salient differences
—Tony Gibbs
saliently adverb
salient

2 of 2
noun
: something (such as a promontory) that projects outward or upward from its surroundings
especially : an outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense


Did you know?
Salient first popped up in English as a word referring to the act of leaping. It is from the Latin verb salire, which means "to leap." Today, salient is usually used to describe things that "leap out," such as the salient features of a painting or the salient points in an argument.

Choose the Right Synonym for salient

noticeable, remarkable, prominent, outstanding, conspicuous, salient, striking mean attracting notice or attention.

noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation.

a piano recital with no noticeable errors
remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment.

a film of remarkable intelligence and wit
prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background.

a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town
outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind.

honored for her outstanding contributions to science
conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind.

conspicuous bureaucratic waste
salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it.

the salient points of the speech
striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision.

the region's striking poverty
Examples of salient in a Sentence
Adjective
Then there were those who doubted the need for radio in the first place, since the telegraph was already ubiquitous. Marconi's salient achievement was to realize that radio waves could be transmitted across vast distances, an incalculable step forward in mass communications.
—Kevin Baker, New York Times Book Review, 5 Nov. 2006
A 2002 study conducted at the University of Illinois by Diener and Seligman found that the most salient characteristics shared by the 10% of students with the highest levels of happiness and the fewest signs of depression were their strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.
—Claudia Wallis, Time, 17 Jan. 2005
The difference between the people Liebling chose to write about and today's celebrity culture is the difference between the "profile" and the "portrait." A profile is an outline, a concise rendering of the most salient facts, though the facts may be inessential and even inaccurate in their generality. … A portrait, on the other hand, is a revelation, an exposure.
—Lee Siegel, Harper's, December 2004
Kermeen cites "a book published in 1882" that says of ghosts at the Myrtles: "The lights are never extinguished at the plantation. When the lights are all out, something always happens." Kermeen does not further identify this book (another source says it was published "in 1900"), but the salient point here is that it apparently did not mention the Chloe tale. That suggests it was probably unknown until relatively recently.
—Joe Nickell, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2003
Noun
The attempts of the Teutonic armies to envelop and destroy some portion of the Russian forces involved the creation of several dangerous salients in the Russian line, followed by an endeavor to close the neck of each salient by attacks from both sides and so to isolate the armies forming its apex.
—Douglas Wilson Johnson, Topography and Strategy in the War, 1917
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Even in sermons that didn’t deal with Gaza at all, the heaviness of the moment was salient.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
For those needing a refresher about what happened in Wednesday Season 1 ahead of the arrival of Season 2 Part 1, below lies a recap of the most salient plot points.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Monday Russian advances northeast of Pokrovsk are aimed at enveloping the city and creating the base of a salient to attack Ukraine's fortress belt from the south.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 July 2025
The timing of the start of Russia's collapse of the Ukrainian Kursk salient at the same time as the Trump administration suspended U.S. intelligence sharing was noteworthy, the think tank said.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun

Latin salient-, saliens, present participle of salire to leap — more at sally

First Known Use
Adjective

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of salient was in 1646
See more words from the same year
Browse Nearby Words
saliency
salient
salient angle
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“Salient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salient. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition
salient

adjective
sa·;lient ;s;-ly;nt, ;s;-l;-;nt
1
: sticking outward
a salient angle
2
: very important or noticeable
saliently adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on salient
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for salient

Nglish: Translation of salient for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: 12 Aug 2025 - Updated example sentences
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