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 more importantly, both justices have deep ties to the conservative legal movement. — The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Most importantly, testers should see that their feedback genuinely shapes the final product. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

That experience is what pushed her to speak out about shingles, encouraging others to talk to their doctors about their risk — and, most importantly, use their voice. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 13 Oct. 2026

More importantly, since the lethal injection protocol requires an intravenous line insertion, the person administering it has to be competent in IV infusion. — M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2