important

(ĭm-pôr'tnt)
adj.

1. Strongly affecting the course of events or the nature of things; significant: an important message that must get through; close friends who are important to me.
2. Having or suggesting a consciousness of high position or authority; authoritative: recited the decree with an important air.
3. Obsolete. Importunate.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin importāns, important-, present participle of importāre, to mean, from Latin, to import. See import.]

importantly im·por'tant·ly adv.

USAGE NOTE   Some critics have objected to the use of the phrase more importantly in place of more important when one introduces an assertion, as in More importantly, no one is ready to step into the vacuum left by the retiring senator. But both forms are widely used by reputable writers, and there is no obvious reason for preferring one or the other.

View more Literature & Language videos

Both words have a special elliptical use dating from the 1930s, in which one or other stands by itself (or qualified by more, most, etc.) as a kind of sentence adverb:

Perhaps more importantly, income not applied to exclusively charitable purposes is not exempt from taxation—Times, 1972

But, more important, a linked policy can be encashed—surrendered—before maturity date—Daily Telegraph, 1973

But most important of all, we begin by giving you the training you need—Scientific American, 1973

More important, Mr Deng gave China a new revolutionary vision in the decade of reform from 1978—Economist, 1991

In Nigeria he is at the more liberal end of the Christian spectrum. More importantly, he is in the front line of relations between Christianity and Islam—Times, 2007.

The use of (more etc.) importantly is sometimes criticized on the grounds that (more etc.) important (elliptical for what is more important) is adequate, but both words are commonly used in this way and importantly conforms more closely than important does to the regular type of sentence adverb.

Previous:	import, implement, impinge
Next:	impostor, impracticable, impractical, impresario

adjective

1. Having great significance: big, consequential, considerable, historic, large, material, meaningful, monumental, significant, substantial. See important/unimportant.
2. Having or exercising influence: consequential, influential, powerful, weighty. See affect/ineffectiveness, important/unimportant, strong/weak.

adj

Definition: eminent, influential, outstanding
Antonyms: insignificant, irrelevant, powerless, unimportant, unknown, worthless

adj

Definition: valuable, substantial
Antonyms: inappreciable, insignificant, little, nonessential, small, trivial, unimportant, unsubstantial

IN BRIEF: Having much meaning or value.

It is not who is right, but what is right, that is important. — Thomas Huxley (1825-1895), English biologist, writer and lecturer.

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: Both F-hands begin together, then move apart and make a half circle up and come back together.

---

For a list of words related to important, see:

• Special, Bright, Skillful, or Unusual

---

See words rhyming with "important."

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - vigtig, central, betydningsfuld, væsentlig, hoven, indbildsk

Nederlands (Dutch)
belangrijk

Français (French)
adj. - important

Deutsch (German)
adj. - wichtig, wichtigtuerisch, bedeutend

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - σημαντικός, σπουδαίος

Italiano (Italian)
importante

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - importante

Русский (Russian)
важный, напыщенный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - grande, importante, valioso

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - viktig, angelägen, anspråksfull

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
重要的, 有权力的, 重大的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 重要的, 有權力的, 重大的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 중요한, 유력한, 젠체하는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 重要な, 有力な, 尊大な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مهم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רב ערך, חשוב‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.