Saliences

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being prominent or noticeable, often used in contexts of psychological or sensory perception
2. Characteristics of a stimulus that makes it stand out and attract attention in a given environment
3. The quality of certain features or elements that are emphasized, drawing focus in visual or auditory experiences

Etymology: "Saliences" is simply the plural of "salience," so it inherits the story of its singular form. The singular comes from Latin "saliēns," the present participle of "saliō," meaning "to leap" or "to jump." The English suffix "-ence" comes from the Latin ending that turns such participles into nouns, so the word literally describes something that is leaping or springing forward. That physical image is what the modern sense grows from. A stimulus that stands out in a crowded environment seems to leap out at the observer, which is why the plural form is used when discussing several such features at once, as in the different saliences of a scene.

Synonyms: prominences, noteworthiness, importance, significance, salient features