importance

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.

“Importance” is pronounced ihm-PAW-tuhns (/ɪmˈpɔɹtəns/ in IPA).

Here is “importance” used in a sentence: “She stressed the importance of getting enough sleep.”

“Importance” is a noun.

The word “importance” comes from Medieval Latin. From Medieval Latin importantia, related to import ("to be important").

“Importance” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

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.

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.

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.