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—importantly, adv./im pawr"tnt/, adj.1. of much or great significance or consequence: an important event in world history.2. mattering much (usually fol. by to): details important to a fair decision.3. entitled to more than ordinary consideration or notice: an important exception.4. prominent or large: He played an important part in national politics.5. of considerable influence or authority, as a person or position: an important scientist.6. having social position or distinction, as a person or family: important guests.7. pompous; pretentious: When speaking, he assumes an important attitude that offends his audience.8. Obs. importunate.[1580-90; < ML important- (s. of importans prp. of importare to be of consequence, weigh, L: to carry in, import), equiv. to im- IM-1 + port- PORT5 + -ant- -ANT; see IMPORT]Usage. Both MORE IMPORTANT and MORE IMPORTANTLY occur at the beginning of a sentence in all varieties of standard English: More important (or More importantly), her record as an administrator is unmatched. Today, MORE IMPORTANTLY is the more common, even though some object to its use on the grounds that MORE IMPORTANT is an elliptical form of "What is more important" and that the adverb IMPORTANTLY could not occur in such a construction. MORE IMPORTANTLY probably developed by analogy with other sentence-modifying adverbs, as curiously, fortunately, and regrettably.
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Universalium. 2010.
