importance

noun im·por·tance \ im-ˈpȯr-tᵊn(t)s , especially Southern US and New England -tən(t)s , -dən(t)s \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: importance in a Sentence

Definition of importance

1 a : 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

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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 of importance from the Web

Kennedy leaned heavily on the importance of dignity in Brown v. Plata, the California prison overcrowding case.

— dylan matthews, Vox, "America under Brett Kavanaugh," 11 July 2018
Poll results on gerrymandering are limited, but a Pew Research Center survey earlier this year measured the public's views on the importance of specific aspects of American elections.

— hannah fingerhut, The Christian Science Monitor, "Poll: Americans have relatively high confidence in Supreme Court," 10 July 2018
The agency is also planning to build an online campaign aimed at educating households with young children on the importance of counting them in the survey.

— melissa etehad, latimes.com, "The 2020 census could undercount 1 million kids — which means less money for California schools," 9 July 2018
Wednesday is World Population Day, established by the United Nations to focus attention on the importance of population issues.

— CBS News, "Calendar: Week of July 9," 8 July 2018
The Baggies are not willing to let Dawson go that easily, as the club's manager Darren Moore has insisted on the importance of keeping the core of the team together, with the defender being one of his vital players.

— SI.com, "West Brom Defender Craig Dawson Hands in Transfer Request Amid Interest from Premier League Clubs," 5 July 2018
Women were on the frontlines of the rallies, organizing attendees and sharing personal stories that underscore the importance of the outpouring of empathy in these dark times.

— refinery29.com, "Women Are Leading The Fight For Immigrant Rights," 1 July 2018
The moment underscored the importance of having thoughtful people explain the forces of nature to the masses.

— gary robbins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Books that will help you understand and prepare for natural disasters," 1 July 2018
While pundits focus on the importance of upgrading workforce skills, kick-starting a cycle of wealth-building by attracting and retaining new businesses is a multipronged effort.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "How Southern Cities Are Joining the Knowledge Economy," 29 June 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.

First Known Use of importance

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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importance Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.