Revised as of
4 July 2023
The confusion is most common between eminent and imminent; I’m throwing immanent in simply because it is so close to imminent.
Different images leap to mind when I encounter each of these words:
eminent is a large EM swollen and beaming away
immanent‘s A is rooted, permanent
imminent is an IM that looms over us as though it were about to topple over — it’s gloom-and-doom time!
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Eminent | Immanent | Imminent |
|---|---|---|
George Washington by Gilbert Stuart is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — George Washington was an eminent commander-in-chief and president. |
Traditional Latin Mass: Elevation is Andrewgardner1’s own work is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Mass is an immanent part of church. |
Imminent Danger by Frédérique Voisin-Demery is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Adjective 1; Noun phrase 2 | Adjective | Adjective |
| Adjective: [Of a person] Famous and respected within a particular sphere or profession 1 Outstanding, famous Used to emphasize the presence of a positive quality Lofty High Prominent, projecting, protruding Noun phrase: |
Often used in religious or philosophical contexts
Inherent Existing, remaining, or operating within
[Philosophy; of a mental act] Taking place within the mind of the subject and having no effect outside of it [Theology; of the Deity] Indwelling the universe, time, etc. Present as a natural and permanent part of something |
About to happen
Projecting
[Archaic] Overhanging, impending |
| Examples: | ||
| Adjective: He is an eminent authority in his field. This guitar has an eminent suitability for recording studio work. He was one of the world’s most eminent artists. This book was written by an eminent authority on folk art. In all eminent fairness, you did start it. . . . o’ those eminent, majestic peaks . . . You, young lady, are displaying eminent good sense. Steve Martin played a character in Roxanne with quite the eminent nose. Noun phrase: The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that the owner of any property seized through eminent domain must be compensated at a fair market rate. Some of the court cases regarding eminent domain include Bauman v. Ross, 167 U.S. 548 (1897) and Kirby Forest Industries, Inc. v. United States, 467 U.S. 1, 9-10 (1984). Eminent domain has been utilized traditionally to facilitate transportation, supply water, construct public buildings, and aid in defense readiness. |
He believed in the immanent unity of nature taught by the Hindus.
The protection of liberties is immanent in constitutional arrangements. He was an immanent God. A belief in God’s immanence holds that God is present in all of creation, while remaining distinct from it. |
People brushed aside the fact that war was imminent.
They were in imminent danger of being swept away. They say that a ceasefire is imminent. For a man in imminent danger of losing his job, he appeared quite unruffled. Her remarks were intended to scotch rumors of an imminent election date. |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: noneminent, quasi-eminent, uneminent Adverb: eminently, quasi-eminently Noun: eminence |
Adjective: nonimmanent Adverb: immanently Noun: immanence, immanency, immanentism, immanentist, nonimmanence, nonimmanency |
Adjective: unimminent Adverb: imminently Noun: imminence, imminentness |
| History of the Word: | ||
|
Mid-16th century from the late Latin immanent- meaning remaining within and is from in- (in) + manere (remain). | Late Middle English from the Latin imminent- meaning overhanging, impending, from the verb imminere, from in- (upon, toward) + minere (to project). |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Eminent vs Immanent vs Imminent
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: eminent, immanent, imminent
“History of the Federal Use of Eminent Domain.” Environment and Natural Resources Division. United States Department of Justice. Last updated 24 Jan 2022. Web. 13 Nov 2022. <https://www.justice.gov/enrd/history-federal-use-eminent-domain>.
Pinterest Photo Credits
A ginseng root, courtesy of © Harding’s Wild Mountain Herbs 2009, becomes the A in immanent while Looks by Alessandro Caproni under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt, stares up at what is imminent.
