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

More importantly, adding front-wheel-drive opens up new possibilities for traction, stability, and acceleration, especially while riding on wet or slick surfaces – not to mention potential race use! —New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026

Secondly — and much more importantly — NSU’s home winning streak, which is already an NCAA Division II record — reached a milestone with 100 consecutive victories. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026

In the near future, experts recommend postponing unnecessary travel if possible, checking refund or insurance policies and, most importantly, monitoring safety advisories. —ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026

More importantly, that is merely the average salary, which will be heavily influenced by the newly lucrative maximum contracts. —Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 3 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2