importance

n.

1. The quality of being important

   significance, consequence, import, weight, moment, signification, drift, force, sense, tenor, purport, bearing, denotation, gist, effect, distinction, influence, usefulness, weightiness, momentousness, magnitude, value, materialness, emphasis, standing, caliber, stress, accent, concern, attention, interest, seriousness, gravity, point, substance, relevance, notable feature, sum and substance, cardinal point, essence; see also meaning, value 3, 4.

   Antonyms insignificance*, triviality*, emptiness. *

2. Prominence

   greatness, eminence, consequence, moment; see fame 1, quality 3, rank 2, 3.

importance, the broadest of these terms, implies greatness of worth, meaning, influence, etc. news of importance; consequence, often interchangeable with the preceding, more specifically suggests importance with regard to outcome or result a disagreement of no consequence or resulting from social position a woman of consequence; moment expresses this same idea of importance in effect with somewhat stronger force affairs of great moment; weight implies an estimation of the relative importance of something his word carries great weight with us; significance implies an importance or momentousness because of a special meaning that may or may not be immediately apparent an event of significance