celebrities / prominence
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celebrities
A group of well-known public figures; all the famous people collectively.
Zur Filmpremiere erschien viel Prominenz aus Politik und Kultur.
Many celebrities from politics and culture appeared at the film premiere.
'Prominenz' (celebrities/prominence) is derived from the adjective 'prominent' (well-known, outstanding). The ending '-enz' forms an abstract noun from an adjective here, as it often does in German.
Der Schauspieler ist sehr prominent.
The actor is very prominent.
You can recognize the meaning from the context: if people talk about 'viel Prominenz' (many celebrities) or 'Prominenz aus Politik und Kultur' (celebrities from politics and culture), famous people are meant. If it is about 'die Prominenz eines Themas' (the prominence of a topic), it refers to the importance or visibility of something.
Auf der Gala traf sich viel Prominenz.
Many celebrities gathered at the gala.
When 'Prominenz' (celebrities) refers to a group of people, it is a collective noun. It is singular in form but describes several people. The verb agrees with it and is also singular.
Die anwesende Prominenz war von der Vorstellung begeistert.
The celebrities in attendance were thrilled by the performance.
In the meaning 'Bekanntheit' (fame/visibility), the word is often used with a genitive that explains what is prominent. Typical phrases are 'die Prominenz der Lage' (the prominence of the location) or 'die Prominenz des Gastes' (the prominence of the guest).
Die Prominenz des Themas in den Nachrichten hat alle überrascht.
The prominence of the topic in the news surprised everyone.
elite
'die Elite' and 'die Prominenz' can both refer to groups of special people. 'die Elite' refers to people who are considered especially good, powerful, or influential in a particular field. 'die Prominenz' refers to people who are well known to the public. Fame and achievement are not the same thing: a person can be prominent without belonging to the elite, and someone from the elite may be barely known. Learners may confuse the words because both often appear in the context of important events or in the media. As a guide: 'Elite' is about influence or top performance, while 'Prominenz' is about public recognition.
Zur Filmpremiere kam viel Prominenz aus Fernsehen und Musik.
Many celebrities from television and music came to the film premiere.
Bei dem Treffen diskutiert die Elite der Wirtschaft über neue Regeln.
At the meeting, the business elite discusses new rules.