These words refer to something of unusual distinction or relevance by reason of its excellence or motivating force. Outstanding is the most general and least formal of these words; most appropriately, it suggests excellence: an outstanding scientist of the 19th century. It may suggest a feature that is sharply distinct from its surroundings: the outstanding impression of squalor that the town left us with. The word may also refer to the most important of a number of causative factors: frustration as the outstanding cause of the prison riots. Foremost is considerably more formal than outstanding , but is otherwise similar in its uses. It more strongly suggests that the excellence, distinction or power being referred to is simply the most important of many contenders for first place: the foremost interpreter of Bach; the foremost port of the region; the foremost reason for the legislators’ change of attitude. When referring to a person’s excellence, the word may suggest formal or official recognition and approval more than actual superiority: Kozeluch was the foremost composer of his day despite Mozart’s outstanding creative triumphs.

Distinguished stresses almost exclusively this last connotation of foremost, emphasizing merit that has been publicly recognized or honoured: distinguished composers who, unlike their obscurer colleagues, do not have to struggle to get a hearing for their music. Prominent carries less suggestions of excellence than foremost or distinguished . This word may point to status gained on other grounds entirely, or suggest merely familiarity to a wide audience: socially prominent families; a novel that became prominent merely for its sensationalism.

Dominant dwells mostly on causative force or a position of power: From his dominant position as chairman of the board, he neglected the testimony of the foremost authorities; his company, consequently, failed to make an outstanding contribution to the war effort. Paramount strictly suggests a singular superiority rather than a most important excellence out of many – or even out of a few: lack of morale as the paramount cause of our defeat. In many contexts the word might be thought excessively formal. Predominant and preponderant , on the other hand, imply a narrower advantage over the nearest contenders. Predominant suggests a recent ascendancy or points to a factor that is closely related to other, almost as important, factors; the era when religious tolerance became predominant ; an electorate for whom the issues are the predominant consideration out of many extraneous factors vying for their attention. Predominant is less used to refer to people; in comparison to the power and control suggested by dominant , it suggests less clearly defined or less decisive factors: the predominant apathy of the people that permitted the Nazi party to gain its dominant position. Preponderant may function similarly to predominant , but it may specifically suggest quantity rather than ascendancy.

• All kinds of trees flourish in the region, but the preponderant species is the elm; Caution was foremost in the minds of a preponderant number of voters.

Prevailing is closely related to predominant and preponderant but it suggests an ascendancy that, while usual, is by no means uninterrupted or continuous: prevailing westerly winds. It may also suggest a consensus that is decisive but far from unanimous: the prevailing bipartisan foreign policy.