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.
Supporters of the administration’s trade agenda say his team has already been leaning more on the Section 232 tariffs in recent months, decreasing the relative importance of the Ieepa duties.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Court’s decision for the law and the economy.
Prince William this week was talking about the importance of male role models, and of course everyone was really thinking: "What about your uncle?"
From BBC
The continued vital importance of oil to the global economy means that any threat to supplies is automatically bearish for most companies that aren’t actually in the oil business.
From MarketWatch
The results also highlight the importance of partnerships between academic research and industry, along with creative uses of available technology.
From Science Daily
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.
