foremost vs illustrious

foremost

adj
  • Of the highest rank or position; of the greatest importance; of the highest priority. 

  • Positioned in front of (all) others in space, most forward. 

  • Coming before (all) others in time. 

  • Closest to the bow. 

adv
  • In front, prominently forward. 

  • First in time. 

  • Most importantly. 

illustrious

adj
  • Admired, distinguished, respected, or well-known, especially due to past achievements or noble qualities. 

How often have the words foremost and illustrious occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )