Saliency or Salience
(saliency pronounced sayl-yun-see or say-lee-un-see; salience pronounced sayl-yuns or say-lee-uns) noun (the two words are identical in meaning and usage)
Definition
from the adjective salient.
Salient (pronounced sayl-yunt or say-lee-unt) =
1. leaping, jumping, or springing.
2. projecting or extending outward beyond a line or surface.
3. prominent; very conspicuous; easily standing out because of notable and deserved significance.
Main Example
- To those who had long relished the thought that John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) and his macroeconomic theories were outmoded, the huge federal bailout programs launched by the Bush administration last year--and which will be further stepped up by Barack Obama--must be a rude awakening. The large scale government intervention in the markets currently taking place in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere represents a massive and unequivocal comeback for the legendary British economist. No, Keynesianism has not lost its saliency, not by any stretch of the imagination.
Workplace Examples
- All these years, my pleas for enhancing the security of our computer network have fallen on deaf ears. It was only after last month's virus attack, which completely shut down our online operations, that the saliency of my recommendation hit home with the management.
- Many of you think that my plan is no different than Matt's, so let me begin by pointing out the three most salient differences.
Other Examples
- a colleague saying: "I am disappointed that while praising Sandra at this morning's award ceremony, Walt missed one of her salient traits--that she is unfailingly polite!"
- a coworker saying to you: "I had to miss the VP's presentation because of an emergency. If you have a minute, can you tell me some of its salient points?"
- the issue of outsourcing jobs to India, Philippines, and other Asian nations having much resonance and saliency because of the low number of new jobs being created within the U.S.; global warming and its many destructive consequences raising the saliency of our heavy dependence on fossil fuels; some analysts projecting that NATO's saliency will sharply decline in the years ahead
- the renewed saliency of the war in Afghanistan, partly because the Taliban is once again in the ascendant, and partly because the number of American troop deaths each month in Iraq is down to the single digits
- The discovery of mad cow disease in the U.S. 5 years ago gave a high level of saliency, for at least a while, to the source and quality of the beef we buy. Not surprisingly, some companies that produce "organic" or "grass fed" beef saw their sales take off!
