importance
ihm-PAW-tuhns
Importance (noun) means the quality of being significant, valuable, or worthy of attention. Example: “She stressed the importance of getting enough sleep.”
noun
1
The quality of being significant, valuable, or worthy of attention.
"She stressed the importance of getting enough sleep."
"The meeting is of great importance to the whole team."
"Nobody doubted the importance of learning to swim before the holiday."
How to use importance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHow significant or worthy of attention something is.
Common pairings
stress the importance of
great importance
sense of importance
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Word forms
- Plural
- importances
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Etymology
From Medieval Latin importantia, related to import ("to be important").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
unimportance
Related words
Rhymes for importance
See all rhymes for 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.
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