The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is salient. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Salient means “standing out conspicuously,” “being prominent,” or “of notable significance.”

// The assignment was to write down the salient facts from the article.

// There are salient differences expressed in the editorials.

SALIENT in Context

“Research published last month in MIT’s Sloan Management Review offers some insight. The salient point it makes is that a ‘toxic work culture’ was more than 10 times as predictive of attrition than insufficient compensation.” — Ginia Bellafante, The New York Times, 6 Feb. 2022

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.

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