paramount
1 Americanadjective
-
chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent.
a point of paramount significance.
- Antonyms:
- unimportant
-
above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction.
noun
noun
adjective
noun
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.
He has also created a new consultative council, which will exercise paramount authority over civilian and military affairs.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
But fixing China becomes more paramount as a new conflict in the Middle East drives up shipping costs and could push consumer prices higher.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
“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
The people of Sekhukhuneland also revolted, and the paramount chief, Moroamotsho Sekhukhune, Godfrey Sekhukhune, and other counselors were banished or arrested.
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.
