important
adjective
im·por·tant
im-ˈpȯr-tᵊnt 
especially Southern US and New England -tənt,
-dənt
1
: marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship
2
: giving evidence of a feeling of self-importance
3
obsolete
: importunate, urgent
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.
Harry A. Gailey, Jr.
second and most important, the book contains no important woman character
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
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
Phoebe Hawkins
importantly, the leaven in the mixture is quality
—George O'Brien
George O'Brien
Synonyms
Examples of important in a Sentence
Diet and exercise are important for health.
In his editorial, he made several important points.
Scientists have made an important discovery.
Doing her job well is important to her.
He's one of the most important scholars in his field.
Recent Examples on the Web
This year, with the Vancouver Canucks’ star forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are underperforming and goalie Thatcher Demko missing the first 24 games of the season with a knee injury, captain Quinn Hughes has become more important to his team than ever.
—Carol Schram, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Mark Nuttall: China Cooperation Is Part of Greenland's Broader Ambitions
China is an important market for Greenland's seafood exports, particularly shrimp and halibut, which are critical for Greenland's economy.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
And so the low-hanging fruit is to focus on those last few plays, which, yeah, are important.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Step 5: Let Pre-Compost Rest After fermenting for 2 weeks, food scraps may look the same, but their internal structure will have changed in important ways.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for important 
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Carol Schram, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Mark Nuttall: China Cooperation Is Part of Greenland's Broader Ambitions
China is an important market for Greenland's seafood exports, particularly shrimp and halibut, which are critical for Greenland's economy.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
And so the low-hanging fruit is to focus on those last few plays, which, yeah, are important.
—Jay King, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025
Step 5: Let Pre-Compost Rest After fermenting for 2 weeks, food scraps may look the same, but their internal structure will have changed in important ways.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for important
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Dictionary Entries Near important
Cite this Entry
“Important.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/important. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
important
adjective
im·por·tant
im-ˈpȯrt-ᵊnt
-ənt
1
: having great meaning or influence : significant
an important day to remember
our most important product
an important change
2
: having power or authority
an important leader
3
: believing or acting as if one's importance is greater than it really is
importantly
adverb
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