importance

noun

im·​por·​tance im-ˈpȯr-tᵊn(t)s How to pronounce importance (audio)
 especially Southern US and New England  -tən(t)s,
-dən(t)s
1
a
: the quality or state of being important : consequence
b
: an important aspect or bearing : significance
2
obsolete : import, meaning
3
obsolete : importunity
4
obsolete : a weighty matter
Choose the Right Synonym for importance

importance, consequence, moment, weight, significance mean a quality or aspect having great worth or significance.

importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone.

a region with no cities of importance

consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects.

the style you choose is of little consequence

moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence.

a decision of great moment

weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something.

the argument carried no weight with the judge

significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized.

the treaty's significance

Examples of importance in a Sentence

The teacher lectured the students on the importance of mutual respect. He exaggerated the importance of his role in the rescue mission. The negotiations have taken on added importance in the wake of the bomb attack. a matter of little importance
Recent Examples on the Web Mohan spoke with Variety about the unlikely genesis of the project, the importance of cinema not shying away from sensuality onscreen and how Sweeney was able to make the movie even scarier. William Earl, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 Biologists who have deployed those collars in research projects have identified important trends, including big-game migration corridors and the importance of maternal health in mule deer herds. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2024 The use of Emirati funds caused an uproar in Westminster over foreign influence in the British media, given the outsize importance of The Telegraph and its sister publication, The Spectator, to Mr. Sunak’s Conservative Party. Mark Landler, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Mulaney, 41, introduced his thoughts on Field of Dreams onstage at the Oscars while joking about the importance of sound in film history. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 One of the key voices of the salt industry for many years, the now-defunct Salt Institute, may have confused public health messaging around the importance of salt reduction by emphasizing the less common instances where restriction can be dangerous. Christopher Damman, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2024 Experts say that the new report emphasizes the importance of timely ADHD diagnoses and adds important considerations for clinicians to discuss with patients who are deciding how to manage their ADHD. Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 As the importance of technical design decisions, such as the precise metric an AI is tasked with optimizing, becomes more widely understood, states are likely to try to force firms to disclose them—but also to try to prohibit those firms from sharing this information with other governments. Aziz Huq, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2024 Still, the issue has taken on significant political importance in West Oakland, where environmental advocates believe bulk quantities of coal stored at the terminal would lead coal dust to mix with the air and worsen the notoriously bad air pollution. Shomik Mukherjee, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'importance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of importance was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near importance

Cite this Entry

“Importance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/importance. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

importance

noun
im·​por·​tance im-ˈpȯrt-ᵊn(t)s How to pronounce importance (audio)
-ən(t)s
: the quality or state of being important

More from Merriam-Webster on importance

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