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, the watch features a caliber 55 VBR chronograph movement with a split-seconds complication that can measure different time intervals. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Star leadership and staff are keenly aware that the bridges of engagement and trust that will lead to better coverage of our diverse Black communities — and more importantly stronger relationships with them — won’t be fully repaired in just a few years. —The Star’s Leadership Team, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024

More importantly, Leonard and George were healthy, Harden was scoring, and Westbrook was happy. —Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024

More importantly, the Ioniq 5 N ably recycles the hands-on thrills that have gone missing in many EVs. —IEEE Spectrum, 17 Apr. 2024

More importantly, everyone knows what a win against Tampa Bay would mean. —David Wilson, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024

The bill provided funding for research into mental disabilities and, more importantly, sought to dismantle the sprawling asylum system. —Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024

Better Homes & Gardens spoke with Bobby Berk (yes, that Bobby Berk) for his top tips for affordably increasing the value of your home—and, more importantly, loving it. —Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024

And most importantly, that woman wrote all of those songs herself. —Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 2