importance
Americannoun
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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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Related Words
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
- preimportance noun
- unimportance noun
Etymology
Origin of importance
First recorded in 1495–1505; Medieval Latin importantia; important ( def. ), -ance ( def. )
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.
You will often see money managers emphasizing the importance of “conviction,” as represented by a portfolio made up of small number of stocks.
From MarketWatch
And any prolonged blockade would risk a global economic and financial crisis, not least because of the importance of Taiwanese high-tech manufacturing, especially in computer chips.
From MarketWatch
Tiwari-Woodruff stressed the broader importance of sustained investment in medical research.
From Science Daily
They believe he understands the brief, which places significant importance on improving younger players - either to sell, or to take the club to the next level.
From BBC
He met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Monday, where both agreed on the importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of dialogue with North Korea.
From Barron's
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.
