Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Strongly affecting the course of events or the nature of things; significant.
  • adjective Having high social rank or influence; prominent.
  • adjective Having or suggesting a consciousness of high position or authority; authoritative.
  • adjective Obsolete Importunate.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of much import; bearing weight or consequence; momentous; grave; significant.
  • Consequential; pretentious; pompous: as, an important manner.
  • [Appar. confused with importunate. Cf. importunate, 1.] Importunate; eager; pressing.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective obsolete Full of, or burdened by, import; charged with great interests; restless; anxious.
  • adjective Carrying or possessing weight or consequence; of valuable content or bearing; significant; weighty.
  • adjective obsolete Bearing on; forcible; driving.
  • adjective obsolete Importunate; pressing; urgent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having relevant and crucial value.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective having authority or ascendancy or influence
  • adjective having or suggesting a consciousness of high position
  • adjective of extreme importance; vital to the resolution of a crisis
  • adjective of great significance or value
  • adjective important in effect or meaning

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin importāns, important-, present participle of importāre, to mean, from Latin, to import; see import.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • Don't tell me a literary work is important. Don't do it.

    Sometimes I am my old man.

    March 2, 2007

  • It's important to use the word important. People want to know about important things and it's a word that grabs the reader's attention. And that's important!

    '15 words that will make you money'

    July 23, 2009