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

And that growth is paramount for the present and, more importantly, the future. —Mike Kaye january 6, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026

Perhaps most importantly, be sure to keep the gold limited to 10% of your overall portfolio, both to let your other assets perform as needed and to avoid over-investing in an asset better known as a portfolio protector versus a quick income producer. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Most importantly, Herbert will now have 15 days in between games. —Daniel Popper, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026

More importantly, the defense is elite, leading the league in yards allowed in the regular season. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2