above all

American  

[uh-buhv awl] / əˈbʌv ˈɔl /

idiom

1. most important of all; before everything else; chiefly.

   Above all, the little girl wanted a piano.

   He said that, above all else, he was a dad of two young children.

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above all More Idioms  

1. More than anything else, as in A winter hike calls for good equipment, but above all it requires careful planning. This phrase first appears in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377), in which the narrator exhorts readers to love the Lord God above all. Also see first and last.

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Etymology

Origin of above all

First recorded in 1350–1400

Example Sentences

So, above all, when nothing sounds good, start small.

From Salon

It’s a love story, above all — “Midnight Cowboy,” not an accidental choice, is more of a touchstone than any Marvel movie.

From Los Angeles Times

Alzheimer's disease is known for one devastating effect above all others.

From Science Daily

This is a squad that should compete for the title next season, but right now they have no semblance of an identity, and above all are no longer feared.

From BBC

"The last few days have been very complicated, for all of us, but above all for me because of the whistles, and everyone speaking about me," said Vinicius.

From Barron's