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important Definition

im·por·tant (im pôrt′'nt)

adjective

  1. meaning a great deal; having much significance, consequence, or value
  2. having, or acting as if having, power, authority, influence, high position, etc.
  3. Obsolete importunate (sense )

Etymology: Fr < OIt importante < ML importans, prp. of importare: see import

important Synonyms

important

modif.

  1. Weighty; said usually of things

    significant, considerable, momentous, essential, great, decisive, critical, determining, chief, paramount, primary, foremost, principal, major, big, consequential, influential, marked, salient, imperative, exigent, of great consequence, mattering much, of moment, earthshaking, portentous, ponderous, of importance, never to be forgotten, of note, valuable, crucial, substantial, material, meaningful, vital, serious, grave, relevant, pressing, far-reaching, extensive, conspicuous, heavy*, front-page*, standout*, smash*; see also necessary 1, urgent 1.

    Antonyms trivial*, inconsequential, unimportant.

  2. Eminent; said usually of persons

    illustrious, influential, prominent, leading, great, notable, well-recognized, well-known, imposing, distinguished, prestigious, extraordinary, remarkable, powerful, noteworthy, signal, grand, outstanding, noted, noble, aristocratic, high-ranking, high-level, honored, esteemed, talented, distinctive, first-class, superior, foremost, big, major, big-league*, big-name*, top-notch*, solid*, four-star*, high-up*, high-powered*; see also dignified, distinguished 2, famous.

    Antonyms obscure*, unknown, unrecognized.

  3. Relevant

    material, significant, mattering, of concern; see related 2, relevant.

important Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • role: Folk dance groups played an important role in our career.
  • factor: Of course the most important factor for many of us is the cost.
  • part: Teaching them to use the roads safely is an important part of helping them to avoid injury.
  • aspect: Just use the links below to find out about some of the most important aspects of our work.
  • thing: There are more important things in life than gambling.
  • issue: I will now deal with the most important issues of all head on.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: Economic security is becoming daily more important for State security.
  • seem: It seems important that the health and social needs of rural communities should form part of the discussion for sustainable developments.
  • consider: English is generally considered more important than most other subjects.
  • remain: Many of the points pertinent to external biosecurity remain important here.

Infinitive complement

  • remember: Also, it is important to remember that style is a vehicle for saying something.
  • note: However, it is important to note that nothing more can go in there.
  • recognize: As to the summer, it is important to recognize that the British economy is in better shape than virtually any other.
  • understand: That is why it is important to understand the architecture of the Bill.
  • ensure: In such cases it is important to ensure that a procedure for creating archival back-up copies is adopted.
  • emphasize: It is important to emphasize that the Commissioners assume joint responsibility for all projects and all decisions made in relation to them.

Modifying Another Word

  • vitally: I know how vitally important an efficient transport system is to country life.

Preposition: in

  • context: However, the construction and meaning of documents in general may become extremely important in the context of an alleged competition law infringement.

Preposition: for

  • wildlife: The excellent bank side cover is important for wildlife including otter and greater and lesser horseshoe bats.

Preposition: by

  • annotator: This page allows to view which sentences are considered important by the annotators.
important Quotes

I'mtired ofeverlastingly being unnatural and neverdoing anything Iwantto do†and I'mtired of pretending Idon't know anything, so men can tell me things and feel important while they're doing it.

—Mitchell, Margaret

It has long beenanaxiomof minethatthe littlethings are infinitely the most important.

—Doyle, SirArthur Conan

It isnot living, but living well, whichwe oughttoconsider most important.

—Plato

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation, To puff and look important and to say: 'Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you, We will therefore pay you cash to go away.' And that is called paying the Dane-geld; But we've proved it again and again, That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld You never get rid of the Dane.

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard

When all is said and done, leading a good life is more important than keeping a good diary.

—Sassoon, Siegfried Louvain

That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.

—Huxley, Aldous Leonard

The most important single thing in publishing is the English sentence, and the editor who cannot contemplate it again and again with a sense of wonder has not yet gained respect for the complexity of learning.

—Jovanovich,William

The most important thing in acting is honesty.Once you've learned to fake that, you're in.

—Goldwyn, Sam(uel) originally  Schmuel Gelbfisz

La chose la plus importante a'   toute la vie est le choix du me¤  tier: le hasard en dispose. The most important thing in life is to choose a profession: chance arranges for that.

—Pascal, Blaise

Money is indeed the most important thing in the world: and all sound and successful personal and national morality should have this fact for its basis.

—Shaw, George Bernard

Paintin's not important. What's important is keepin' busy.

—Moses'

Personal relations are the important thing for ever and ever, and not this outer life of telegrams and anger.

—Forster, E(dward) M(organ)

First, you know, a new theory is attacked as absurd; then it is admitted to be true, but obvious and insignificant; finally it is seen to be so important that its adversaries claim that they themselves discovered it.

—James,William

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

—King, Martin LutherJr