importance

noun

im·por·tance | \im-ˈpȯr-tᵊn(t)s,

especially Southern US and New England -tən(t)s, -dən(t)s\

Definition of importance

1a : the quality or state of being important : consequence

b : an important aspect or bearing : significance

2 obsolete : import, meaning

3 obsolete : importunity

4 obsolete : a weighty matter

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about importance

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Choose the Right Synonym for importance

importance, consequence, moment, weight, significance mean a quality or aspect having great worth or significance. importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone. a region with no cities of importance consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects. the style you choose is of little consequence moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence. a decision of great moment weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something. the argument carried no weight with the judge significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized. the treaty's significance

Examples of importance in a Sentence

The teacher lectured the students on the importance of mutual respect. He exaggerated the importance of his role in the rescue mission. The negotiations have taken on added importance in the wake of the bomb attack. a matter of little importance

Recent Examples on the Web

Roughly three-quarters placed great importance on congressional districts being determined in a fair and reasonable way. — Hannah Fingerhut, The Christian Science Monitor, "Poll: Americans have relatively high confidence in Supreme Court," 10 July 2018 More than 71% of younger high-net-worth individuals place a high importance on getting cryptocurrency information from their wealth managers, compared to 13% of those aged 60 and over. — Don Reisinger, Fortune, "World's Richest People Have More Than Doubled Their Wealth Since 2008," 19 June 2018 In a theme park that places great importance on whether a guest chooses a black hat or a white hat, Emily's hat is pointedly gray. — Scott Meslow, GQ, "Westworld Season 2 Episode 9 Recap: Here Comes the Man in Black," 18 June 2018 This has caused many high school coaches to place way more importance on 7s. — Richard Obert, azcentral, "Have Arizona high school football 7-on-7s gotten out of control?," 15 June 2018 Results from an employee survey by Energage, formerly WorkplaceDynamics, find workers place particular importance on these type of considerations. — Michael Schroeder, Indianapolis Star, "Top Workplaces 2018: Top companies excel at two-way communication between employees, management," 10 June 2018 But he is respected as someone who placed great importance on civility and implored his candidates to try to work with the other side. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: Democratic Party leader ends quarter-century in a thankless, unpaid job," 8 June 2018 Justice Kennedy has had outsize importance on LGBT rights, writing majority opinions in all the signal decisions issued by the court in the last two decades. — John Sides, Washington Post, "Still trying to understand the wedding cake case? Here are your answers.," 6 June 2018 The importance of work-life balance was one of the reasons Walthers Naffah decided to join the family business nine years ago after working in marketing at other companies. — Stephanie Morse, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Next generation taking over at Milwaukee model railroad company Walthers," 5 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'importance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near importance

Phrases Related to importance

a matter of urgency/importance

Statistics for importance

Last Updated

30 Sep 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for importance

The first known use of importance was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for importance

importance

noun

English Language Learners Definition of importance

: the quality or state of being important : value or significance

See the full definition for importance in the English Language Learners Dictionary

importance

noun

im·por·tance | \im-ˈpȯr-tᵊns

\

Kids Definition of importance

: the quality or state of being important The discovery is of great importance.

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