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.
When in Germany, the King had spoken about the importance of supporting Ukraine, so there will be interest in whether he might raise the subject again, against a background of talks about ending the war.
From BBC
She talked about the importance to her of measures to try to address the cost of living, and they were there in her Budget last week.
From BBC
One shows the Princess of Wales sharing her relief at having finished chemotherapy treatment, and reflecting on the importance "of simply loving and being loved".
From BBC
With the November nonfarm payrolls report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics delayed until Dec. 16, the numbers could take on added importance for Wall Street.
From Barron's
The theater’s importance as a locus of intelligent inquiry and intellectual ferment—not momentous, alas—owes a great debt to his influence.
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.
