important

adjective

im-ˈpȯr-tᵊnt How to pronounce important (audio)
Definition of importantnext
1
as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect the discovery of penicillin was a very important event in the history of medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in influential
having great power or influence Rachel Carson was an important figure in the environmental movement

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude an important businessman who always expects special treatment wherever he goes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in proud
having too high an opinion of oneself oh, you're so important—you think the world revolves around you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of important After spending his first two seasons making his presence felt primarily on special teams, one wide receiver has turned his opportunity into a breakout season, quickly becoming one of the Panthers’ most important offensive weapons. — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026 The researchers say their experiment lays an important foundation for using such fields to investigate molecular chirality. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026 During the Foos’ opening set Friday, Grohl told the New Jersey crowd about the important role AC/DC has played in his life and why he was thrilled to open for the band for a second time. — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026 The move is especially important given the disconnect between Nvidia’s business and stock performance. — Alexa Lomonaco,jeff Nash, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for important
Recent Examples of Synonyms for important
  1. major
  2. influential
  3. arrogant
  4. proud
  5. significant
  6. powerful
  7. superior
  8. smug
Adjective
  • Wildfires encroached on major European cities, a once unthinkable threat.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • These five rising, behind-the-scenes maestros have worked on major hits for such likely 2027 contenders as Noah Kahan, Ariana Grande and Rosalía — and could be first-time nominees in the category.
    — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of major
Adjective
  • While a handful of less-influential militias have agreed to turn over their weapons, powerful groups close to Iran rejected the prospect or set conditions for disarming that the government would be unlikely to meet.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This gift is a big swing from one of the country’s most influential business leaders and philanthropists.
    — Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of influential
Adjective
  • Elon Musk — Ike Barinholtz has Musk wandering in from another movie, or dimension, a ramble-y, arrogant but ultimately comically non-threatening figure.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The loud-mouthed cameos from ex-soccer players Zlatan Ibrahimović and Eric Cantona in Nike’s World Cup hero film Rip the Script were indicative of this, chiming with an older, more arrogant vision of Nike seen in the ’90s and the aughts.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Guys are proud to wear a Florida Panthers jersey, and the expectations are high.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Segerstrom is also heralded for its hospitality; Reitz is particularly proud that the center received an award from Broadway Across America for being voted the most welcoming spot on Broadway tours.
    — Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • Its compact design puts significant emphasis on accurate pointing without adding substantial mass.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Despite the hype, China’s AI sector faces some significant constraints on its growth.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of significant
Adjective
  • Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
  • With the Heat’s offense often spacing all five players around the three-point line, Antetokounmpo will have plenty of room to operate as one of the most powerful drivers in the NBA.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of powerful
Adjective
  • Read More $199 at Amazon The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that improves their fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, and fairly accurate heart rate sensors.
    — Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Bailey Andersen was a high school basketball player who remembers a 6-foot biological male out-jumping her 6-foot-3 teammate on the opening tip due to his superior athleticism.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of superior
Adjective
  • Here was my chance to get out of London, this counterfeit of death with its everywhere rage and its moribund culture and its smug population and its streets steeped in resentment and the sky pressing down like a chloroform rag.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hilton vouches for their integrity, then quickly pivots into an attack on smug Democrats who take voters for granted.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of smug

Browse Nearby Words

importance
important
imported
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Important.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/important. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of etiquette

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All