importance
Americannoun
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importances
plural
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the quality or state of being important; consequence; significance.
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important position or standing; personal or social consequence.
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consequential air or manner.
an air of bustling importance.
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Obsolete. an important matter.
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Obsolete. importunity.
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Obsolete. import or meaning.
noun
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the state of being important; significance
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social status; standing; esteem
a man of importance
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obsolete
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meaning or signification
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an important matter
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importunity
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Synonym Usage
Importance, consequence, significance, moment all signify something valuable, influential, or worthy of note. Importance is the most general of these, assigning exceptional or notable value or influence to a person or thing: the importance of Einstein's discoveries. Consequence may suggest outstanding personal quality or position, or it may suggest importance because of results to be produced: a woman of consequence in world affairs; an event of great consequence for our future. Significance can be used interchangeably with importance or consequence, but it carries also the implication of importance that is not readily or immediately recognized: The significance of the discovery only became clear years later. Moment, on the other hand, almost always refers to immediately apparent, self-evident importance: a change of great moment for the nation's political system.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of importance
First recorded in 1495–1505; Medieval Latin importantia; see important ( def. ), -ance ( def. )
Explanation
Importance is the state of being greatly significant. If you're invited to your cousin's wedding and your friend's circus-themed birthday party on the same day, you'll have to decide which event has more importance to you. Something or someone that is particularly notable can also be referred to with the noun importance. The historic and symbolic importance of the "Declaration of Independence" means that most kids learn about it in history class. In your history class, you'll also learn about the people who had positions of importance in drafting the "Declaration," like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
Vocabulary lists containing importance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But Ricky Bobby’s return to glory was about more than the importance of humility and friendship.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Campaigners have repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting the identities of people involved in investigations into sexual abuse and trafficking because of the potential impact on victims' wellbeing and privacy.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Despite its importance, however, the hypothesis had rarely been evaluated using large empirical datasets spanning a broad range of insects.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
Elliot worked at Press Pass NYC, a nonprofit that supports journalism programs in public schools, where he helped produce multiple mini-documentaries on the importance of student reporting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
He classified the lines he studied into stratifications of importance, always eliminating the not-quite-perfect continuation and seeking what he called the “true move,” that which could not be refuted.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
We are beginning to have glamours and importances of our own.
From On the Stairs by Henry Blake Fuller
Thus the commissioners, recovering from their panic, began to frown with importances.
From Gargoyles by Ben Hecht
In the particular juncture, the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Tracy, took my view of relative importances, and time was secured me.
From From Sail to Steam, Recollections of Naval Life by A. T. (Alfred Thayer) Mahan
It has been wisely said that intelligence may be defined as the ability to correctly determine differences, similarities, and importances.
From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Steve Solomon
The chromatic differences of other errors of reproduction have seldom practical importances.
From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
