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

Most importantly, however, she was celebrated as the Queen of Salsa until the very end. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2026

The gap between what Greg and I did—and, more importantly, thought about—became a gigantic infuriating cavern for me. —Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026

Most importantly, the new images reveal that the two halves of the lower jaw had yet to fuse in the youngest Lystrosaurus specimen. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026

More importantly, House Republicans say, their plan falls $167 million under the spending cap that keeps overall budget growth in line with household income and inflation. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2