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Synonyms

paramount

1 American  
[par-uh-mount] / ˈpær əˌmaʊnt /

adjective

  1. chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent.

    a point of paramount significance.
    Antonyms:
    unimportant

  2. above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction.

noun

  1. a supreme ruler; overlord.

Paramount 2 American  
[par-uh-mount] / ˈpær əˌmaʊnt /

noun

  1. a city in SW California, near Los Angeles.

paramount British  
/ ˈpærəˌmaʊnt /

adjective

  1. of the greatest importance or significance; pre-eminent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. rare a supreme ruler

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See dominant.

Other Word Forms

  • paramountcy noun
  • paramountly adverb
  • superparamount adjective

Etymology

Origin of paramount

First recorded in 1525–35; from Anglo-French paramont “above,” from par per- + amont “upward, above” (from Latin ad montem “to the mountain”; ad-, mount 2 )

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.

“Discounters are in this really tricky spot, where price is paramount, but they’re up against the likes of Walmart,” Moran said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

And interviewing a sitting president has long conferred prestige, which might well feel paramount amid shrinking audiences and newsroom layoffs.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

Still, Trivariate found that, following oil spikes, investors psychology was paramount.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

The Department of Health and Social Care said: "The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount and NHS England follow expert scientific and clinical advice when making decisions relating to clinical policies."

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

The regent had not forgotten that it was due to my father’s intervention that he had become acting paramount chief.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.