important

From Middle English important, from Medieval Latin important-, importāns. By surface analysis, import (“to be important”) +‎ -ant.

Displaced native Old English heah and hefig.

• (UK, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɔː.tənt/, ,
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt/, ,

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpo(ː)ɹ.tənt/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpoə.tənt/
• (US, T-Flapping) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɔɹ.tənt/

important (comparative more important or (uncommon) importanter, superlative most important or (uncommon) importantest)

2. Having relevant and crucial value; having import.

   It is very important to give your daughter independence in her life so she learns from experience.

   • 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate , New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, , →OCLC, page 6:

     Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between. His clerks, however, understood him very well.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:

     The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. […] The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared.

   • 1988, Robert Ferro, Second Son:

     For this was the most important thing, that when a person felt strongly about an issue in life, it mustn’t be ignored by others; for if it was, everything subsequent to it would turn out badly, even though there should seem to be no direct connection.

   • 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:

     In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.

3. (obsolete) Pompous; self-important.
   • 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Sense and Sensibility , volume I, London: C Roworth, , and published by T Egerton, , →OCLC, page 206:

     " […] It is a match that must give universal satisfaction. In short, it is a kind of thing that"—lowering his voice to an important whisper—"will be exceedingly welcome to all parties." Recollecting himself, however, he added, "That is, I mean to say—your friends are all truly anxious to see you well settled; Fanny particularly […] "

• significant
• weighty
• See also Thesaurus:important

• negligible
• ignorable
• petty
• slight
• unimportant

• import
• importance

• IPA^(key): (Central)
• IPA^(key): (Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencia)

• Audio (Central):

  (file)

important m or f (masculine and feminine plural importants)

1. important

• importantment

• importància

• “important” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “important”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “important” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “important” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

important

1. gerund of importar

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃/, (in liaison) /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃.t‿/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: im‧por‧tant

important (feminine importante, masculine plural importants, feminine plural importantes)

1. important

   Il est important de se brosser les dents.

   It is important to brush your teeth.

2. large, considerable, significant

   Synonyms: grand, gros, considérable

   Une partie importante des votes

   A significant number of the votes

   Une tempête de neige est un phénomène météorologique produit par une dépression météorologique hivernale importante.

   A snowstorm is a meteorological phenomenon produced by a large winter depression.

important

1. present participle of importer

• “important”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

important

1. third-person plural present active indicative of importō

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

important m (feminine singular importanta, masculine plural importants, feminine plural importantas)

1. important

• importància

Borrowed from French important.

• IPA^(key):

• Audio:

  (file)

important m or n (feminine singular importantă, masculine plural importanți, feminine and neuter plural importante)

1. important

• importanță