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.

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noun

1. a supreme ruler; overlord.

Paramount ² American  

[par-uh-mount] / ˈpær əˌmaʊnt /

noun

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

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paramount British  

/ ˈpærəˌmaʊnt /

adjective

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

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noun

1. rare a supreme ruler

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

“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

The 92-year-old Judge Alvin Hellerstein however, noted that "the right to defence is paramount".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 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

Soon we are told that war reaches into a place where emotion is paramount, where instinct is king.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• outstanding
• predominant
• preeminent