importantly

adverb

im·​por·​tant·​ly im-ˈpȯr-tᵊnt-lē 

especially Southern US and New England -tənt-, 

-dənt-

1

—used to say that what follows in a sentence is important

… much more importantly he stands a chance of having his publication barred …

—H. L. Mencken

2

a

: in an important way

… contributed importantly to the language of the field.

—Ernst Mayr

… the real story is importantly different from the one surmised.

—Alexander Woollcott

b

: in a self-important or pompous manner

… he talked importantly of the managerial position he had reached, after a lifetime of devotion and toil …

—William Trevor

Importantly vs. Important: Usage Guide

A number of commentators have objected to importantly as a sentence modifier (the use defined above at sense 1) and have recommended important instead. Actually, both the adverb and the adjective are in reputable standard use in this function. Important is always used with more or most.

had bronze weapons and composite bows; more important, they utilized the horse and war chariot

—Harry A. Gailey, Jr.

second and most important, the book contains no important woman character

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Importantly is commonly used in similar contexts, but it is somewhat more flexible in not requiring more or most.

sticks and, just as importantly, unsticks easily

—Phoebe Hawkins

importantly, the leaven in the mixture is quality

—George O'Brien

Examples of importantly in a Sentence

Her research has contributed importantly to our understanding of the disease.

He strutted to and fro importantly, ordering everybody around.

Recent Examples on the Web

Perhaps even more importantly, Schmiede's Nugget Twin is available in all-wheel drive, an option Ford's Nugget High Roof lacked upon introduction. — New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026

More importantly, employees get faster answers any time of the day. — Amee Parekh, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026

More importantly, the agreement affirms Greenland's sovereignty and right to self-determination while preventing non-NATO countries from establishing a military presence without the parties' approval. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

More importantly, perhaps her sons would have valued this gesture from their paternal grandmother to their mother? — Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2