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Meaning of salient in English:

salient

Pronunciation /ˈseɪlɪənt/

See synonyms for salient

Translate salient into Spanish

adjective

  • 1Most noticeable or important.

    ‘it succinctly covered all the salient points of the case’
    • ‘He does not neglect the contribution of blues singers to the body of railroad songs, and in fact he discusses the salient features of the blues genre and its importance in commercial recordings.’
    • ‘The crisp presentation outlined all the salient features of broadband technology, notably cheaper downloads and smoother surfing.’
    • ‘What were the most salient features of the impeachment crisis and its most important political lessons?’
    • ‘Their didactic import encompasses salient aspects of Buddhist doctrine, especially the traditional notion of human transience.’
    • ‘A few representatives of the dealer as well as the official financier are present at the makeshift counters to explain the salient features of the product and loan offers.’
    • ‘A salient feature that has emerged is that no single individual can claim to be the pillar of any political party as all members are bound by the collective responsibility.’
    • ‘The salient features of the ‘Clean city Beautiful City’ programme of the city corporation also finds a place in the newsletter.’
    • ‘The salient features of the Contributory Health Scheme meant for the ex-servicemen community will also be explained to them by the members of the team.’
    • ‘Diversity of values, what philosophers calls the ‘fact of pluralism’, is the salient feature of modern societies in the West.’
    • ‘Yet the most salient feature of Truth and Truthfulness is Williams's passionate devotion to the political heritage of the Enlightenment.’
    • ‘The salient feature of these policies is not their racism per se but their carefully calculated divisiveness.’
    • ‘Moore's preoccupation with faith and with religion, particularly with Catholicism, is a salient feature of his work.’
    • ‘They distributed handbills and explained the salient features to those who showed interest in the policy.’
    • ‘The idea is to provide an opportunity to the manufacturers to explain the salient features of their products to the consumers.’
    • ‘At best, a dictionary can enumerate only some of the more salient semantic distinctions, and different lexicographers are liable to employ different criteria in their assessments.’
    • ‘The son of strict Plymouth Brethren, he was most perceptive, able to discern the salient points of lectures in his concise notes, written on the back of a Churchman's cigarette packet.’
    • ‘Based on the preceding readings, how would you identify the salient distinctions between civil-political and economic-social rights?’
    • ‘Mill's salient distinction is between offence and harm; its implications for political correctness are pellucid.’
    • ‘The trial judge's succinct reasons refer to many salient evidentiary points.’
    • ‘A more interesting question is: is it OK to ‘enhance’ real evidence, if the salient facts are true?’
    important, main, principal, major, chief, primary, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, arresting, conspicuous, striking, noticeable, obvious, remarkable, signal, prominent, pronounced, predominant, dominant, key, crucial, vital, essential, basic, staple, critical, pivotal, prime, central, focal, paramount
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Prominent; conspicuous.
      ‘the salient object in my view’
      • ‘And there are many such places in Karnataka which have salient features to be developed into potential centres of growth.’
      • ‘Narrow lanes, leaky ceilings and weak walls with a number of cracks are the salient features of the ‘new’ quarters.’
      • ‘The second most salient feature of primary forest indicated by habitat classification freelists was humidity.’
      conspicuous, noticeable, easily seen, obvious, evident, discernible, recognizable, distinguishable, unmistakable, eye-catching, pronounced, salient, striking, outstanding, dominant, predominant
      View synonyms

  • 2(of an angle) pointing outwards.

    The opposite of re-entrant

    ‘A radial tire for heavy road vehicles comprises a tread formed with wide circumferential zigzag grooves. The sides of the grooves form angles that are alternately salient and reentrant, and the zigzag of at least one of the grooves has its amplitude reduced by a lateral shift of the salient angles along at least one side of the groove.’
    • ‘Where the salient angle occurs it is plain that it will be more subject to the effect of the water on the side which opposes the current, than on that which declines from it.’

  • 3Heraldry
    postpositive (of an animal) standing on its hind legs with the forepaws raised, as if leaping.

    ‘Their seal bore as its device a demi-fox salient, with a motto on a ribbon "Liberté toute entière".’
    • ‘On the middle pillar of the canopy-work are the arms of this knight, a lion salient, impaling a spread eagle, the arms of his lady.’

noun

  • 1A piece of land or section of fortification that juts out to form an angle.

    • ‘Had the wall run due north from this point on the upper terrace, the area enclosed would have been overlooked by a salient of the terrace to the east, creating a point of great vulnerability.’
    1. 1.1An outward bulge in a line of military attack or defence.
      ‘this decisive battle broke the Germans' ability to attack any further into the Kursk salient’
      • ‘As Jones reveals, however, even the military brass gave only scant thought to how to actually secure the salients they planned to capture - and this lack of foresight doomed the operation from the start.’
      • ‘Though the weather after 5 July was essentially clear, it worked against the German army during the critical initial advance into the Kursk salient.’
      • ‘The Allied command planned to clear the salient of Germans along a 20 mile front.’
      • ‘In addition, troop movements were executed in the salient at night as much as possible, and any mention of preparation for the operation over the radio was prohibited.’
      • ‘In May 1943 four strikes of Soviet aviation at the enemy airfields at the Kursk salient destroyed 500 aircraft.’

Origin

Mid 16th century (as a heraldic term): from Latin salient- ‘leaping’, from the verb salire. The noun dates from the early 19th century.