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

Carter feared conflict above all and even opposed sanctions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

But Guardiola has often seemed to covet the Champions League above all else and there will likely be frustration that the competition has brought him more anguish than joy in the past 10 years.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

That is to say, “I Love Boosters” is, above all else, wild, rollicking and unpredictable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

“Many asset classes are now tracking oil almost tick for tick, so for markets, this is what matters above all else right now,” said Deutsche Bank strategist Jim Reid in a note.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

Margot and Mr. van Daan wish, above all else, to have a hot bath, filled to the brim, which they can lie in for more than half an hour.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank