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

"He also didn't let me settle. He was very good at challenging people and helping students be the best they can be. Above all, he's a very funny, genuine, nice guy."

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

"Above all it's three points but that will do us all a lot of good mentally," Lille captain Benjamin Andre said.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

Above all, it has long had Europe's biggest university campus.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

Above all, he is angry and says that Hatayama has not shown remorse or addressed victims publicly.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2026

Above all, the Smokies are famous for their bears.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson