importance
8 synonyms and 1 antonym for importance, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The quality of being significant, valuable, or worthy of attention.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
unimportance
How to use importance
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
stress the importance of
great importance
sense of importance
Etymology
From Medieval Latin importantia, related to import ("to be important").
Full origin of importance →Frequently asked questions
What does “importance” mean?
The word “importance” means the quality of being significant, valuable, or worthy of attention. In plain terms, how significant or worthy of attention something is.
How do you pronounce “importance”?
“Importance” is pronounced ihm-PAW-tuhns (/ɪmˈpɔɹtəns/ in IPA).
How do you use “importance” in a sentence?
Here is “importance” used in a sentence: “She stressed the importance of getting enough sleep.”
What part of speech is “importance”?
“Importance” is a noun.
Where does the word “importance” come from?
The word “importance” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin importantia, related to import ("to be important").
Is “importance” a common word?
“Importance” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between importance and significance?
The words are close and often interchangeable. Importance stresses how much something matters or deserves attention right now — its practical weight. Significance leans toward meaning and consequence, especially deeper or longer-term implications. A meeting can have importance today; a historical event has lasting significance. In everyday use, either usually works.
Can importance be measured?
Not with a single fixed scale, because importance is partly a value judgment that varies by context and person. It can, however, be assessed and ranked — by weighing consequences, urgency, cost, or how many people are affected. Businesses and researchers often prioritize tasks or findings by relative importance rather than exact figures.
What is the opposite of importance?
The main opposites are "insignificance," "unimportance," and "triviality," all describing something of little value or not worth much attention. "Irrelevance" is close too, stressing that something has no bearing on the matter at hand. Which fits best depends on whether you mean small in value or simply beside the point.
