important
[im-pawr-tnt]
- of much or great significance or consequence: an important event in world history.
- mattering much (usually followed by to): details important to a fair decision.
- entitled to more than ordinary consideration or notice: an important exception.
- prominent or large: He played an important part in national politics.
- of considerable influence or authority, as a person or position: an important scientist.
- having social position or distinction, as a person or family: important guests.
- pompous; pretentious: When speaking, he assumes an important attitude that offends his audience.
- Obsolete. importunate.
Show More
Origin of important
Usage note
Both more important and more importantly occur at the beginning of a sentence in all varieties of standard English: More important (or More importantly), her record as an administrator is unmatched. Today, more importantly is the more common, even though some object to its use on the grounds that more important is an elliptical form of “What is more important” and that the adverb importantly could not occur in such a construction. More importantly probably developed by analogy with other sentence-modifying adverbs, as curiously, fortunately, and regrettably.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
worthless, insignificant, irrelevant, immaterial, meaningless, inconsequential, negligible, useless, null, trivial, frivolous, unnecessary, casual, frothy, indifferent, little, minor, minute, nonessential, nothingExamples from the Web for unimportant
Contemporary Examples
Actually giving that up and stepping aside to become the unimportant one for once is very unpleasant, even painful.
When I look back on my life as a volunteer, there is not one minute I think was wasted or unimportant.
In other words, one can trust the entry on Jimmy Carter, but not entries for unimportant schlubs like me.
I had a teacher, when young, who said the word “writer” was unimportant.
Evidently, those concerns are unimportant once the profits begin flowing into government coffers.
Historical Examples
And it made work, and all things else, look mean and poor and unimportant.
The Incomplete AmoristE. Nesbit
Unimportant as this may seem now, it then occasioned intense excitement.
Cleveland Past and PresentMaurice Joblin
The beauty of women is unimportant but the number of women is very important.
City of Endless NightMilo Hastings
Cornish made some unimportant remark, which the other did not answer.
Roden's CornerHenry Seton Merriman
During the whole time we had all been, with unimportant exceptions, in good health.
FreelandTheodor Hertzka
unimportant
- lacking in significance or valueunimportant matters
Show More
important
- of great significance or value; outstandingVoltaire is an important writer
- of social significance; notable; eminent; esteemedan important man in the town
- (when postpositive, usually foll by to) specially relevant or of great concern (to); valued highly (by)your wishes are important to me
- an obsolete word for importunate
Show More
Word Origin
C16: from Old Italian importante, from Medieval Latin importāre to signify, be of consequence, from Latin: to carry in; see import
usage
The use of more importantly as in more importantly, the local council is opposed to this proposal has become very common, but many people still prefer to use more important
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
Word Origin and History for unimportant
important
adj.
mid-15c., from Middle French important and directly from Medieval Latin importantem (nominative importans), present participle of importare "be significant in," from Latin importare "bring in" (see import). Related: Importantly.
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper