important

important
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.

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  • important — important, ante [ ɛ̃pɔrtɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] adj. • 1476; it. importante → importance I ♦ (Choses) 1 ♦ Qui importe; qui a beaucoup d intérêt, de grandes conséquences. ⇒ considérable, grand. Question importante. ⇒ majeur. Rôle important. Extrêmement… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • important — important, ante (in por tan, tan t ) adj. 1°   Qui importe, qui est de conséquence, qui est considérable. Il est important de se hâter. •   Une perte si importante, VAUGEL. Q. C. p. 180. •   Un mot important pour ton bien, Et qui peut établir ton …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • important — IMPORTÁNT, Ă, importanţi, te, adj. Care are însemnătate, valoare; însemnat. ♦ (Despre persoane) De vază; remarcabil, ilustru. ♦ (ir.) Care se crede om de seamă; plin de aroganţă, îngâmfat. – Din fr. important. Trimis de gall, 13.09.2007. Sursa:… …   Dicționar Român

  • important — Important, [import]ante. adj. Qui importe, qui est de consequence, qui est considerable. Discours important, mot important, parole importante. cette affaire est fort importante. la faute que vous avez faite est plus importante que vous ne pensez …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • important — important, importantly Both words have a special elliptical use dating from the 1930s, in which one or other stands by itself (or qualified by more, most, etc.) as a kind of sentence adverb: • Perhaps more importantly, income not applied to… …   Modern English usage

  • Important — Im*por tant, a. [F. important. See {Import}, v. t.] 1. Full of, or burdened by, import; charged with great interests; restless; anxious. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Thou hast strength as much As serves to execute a mind very important. Chapman. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • important — (adj.) mid 15c., from M.Fr. important and directly from M.L. importantem (nom. importans), prp. of importare be significant in, from L. importare bring in (see IMPORT (Cf. import)). Related: Importantly …   Etymology dictionary

  • important — [adj1] valuable, substantial big, big league*, chief, considerable, conspicuous, critical, crucial, decisive, determining, earnest, essential, esteemed, exceptional, exigent, extensive, far reaching, foremost, front page*, grave, great, heavy,… …   New thesaurus

  • important — I (urgent) adjective acute, called for, clamant, clamorous, cogent, compelling, critical, crucial, crying, demanding attention, driving, essential, exigent, high priority, impelling, imperative, importunate, in demand, indispensable, inescapable …   Law dictionary

  • important — ► ADJECTIVE 1) of great significance or value. 2) having high rank or social status. DERIVATIVES importance noun importantly adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • important — [im pôrt′ nt] adj. [Fr < OIt importante < ML importans, prp. of importare: see IMPORT] 1. meaning a great deal; having much significance, consequence, or value 2. having, or acting as if having, power, authority, influence, high position,… …   English World dictionary

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