salient
Noun pluralsalients
Pluralsalients
- 1Most noticeable or most important, standing out from everything else.
Her bright red hair is a salient feature that everyone remembers.
The most salient fact is that nobody was hurt.
UsageSay a salient feature or the salient point.
Similarprominent, striking, conspicuous, noticeable, notable
Oppositeinconspicuous, minor, insignificant, peripheral
- 2A part of a battle line or of a region's land that sticks out beyond the rest.
The soldiers in the salient were attacked from three sides.
Our troops held a narrow salient that pushed into enemy land.
Similarbulge, projection
Note
- 3Pointing or sticking out, especially describing an angle or a part of a fort.
The fort had a salient wall that pointed toward the river.
The old house has a salient corner that juts into the street.
Similarprojecting
Note
Less common meanings
- 4Used about any angle that is smaller than two right angles put together.
A triangle has three salient angles.
The teacher asked us to find every salient angle in the shape.
Oppositereflex
Note
- 5In mountain ranges, a part of a curved belt of pushed-up rock that bulges outward.
The map shows a salient where the mountain front bulges out toward the plain.
Where the mountain belt bends outward, geologists call the bulge a salient.
Oppositerecess
Note
- 6On a coat of arms, shown jumping, usually about an animal with four legs.
The flag shows a red lion salient, as if it is jumping at an enemy.
Their old family shield has a goat salient on it.
Note
- 7Moving by jumping.
frogs and salient animals
1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia EpidemicaHere, salient means moving by jumping or leaping.Note
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From a Latin word meaning "leaping". The meaning "important" came later, from the phrase salient point.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- ‘Salient’ derives from a Latin word meaning ‘leaping’. en.wiktionary.org
- The meaning ‘important’ developed later from ‘salient point’. en.wiktionary.org