salient
most noticeable, important, or projecting
Root
- sal / sult: leap, jump, spring, or spring back
Other words with the sal / sult root
- assail: to attack forcefully or criticize harshly
- desultory: lacking a clear plan or order; jumping from thing to thing
- resilient: able to recover or spring back
- somersault: a jump or roll in which the body turns over
Salient once had a leaping or springing-out feel; now it is what jumps out as important.
The salient detail was not the date but the missing signature.
Salient can mean prominent in an argument or projecting outward in space. Keep the motion light: something springs out enough to catch attention.