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. )
Explanation
Importance is the state of being greatly significant. If you're invited to your cousin's wedding and your friend's circus-themed birthday party on the same day, you'll have to decide which event has more importance to you. Something or someone that is particularly notable can also be referred to with the noun importance. The historic and symbolic importance of the "Declaration of Independence" means that most kids learn about it in history class. In your history class, you'll also learn about the people who had positions of importance in drafting the "Declaration," like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
Vocabulary lists containing importance
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.
Fix emphasizes the importance of shopping around beyond your local dealer because of how prices differ regionally.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
While most Americans recognize the importance of studying the autistic brain, far fewer understand the role that brain donation after death plays in advancing scientific discoveries.
From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026
At an earlier slate reveal event last month, the platform’s executives emphasized the importance the company is placing on original storytelling.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Around that time, he started seeing social-media videos discussing the importance of improving sperm health.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
The paper would have been disregarded as meaningless had it not been encased in a glass frame, hinting at greater importance.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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.
