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paramount

 [par-uh-mount]   Example Sentences Origin

par·a·mount

   [par-uh-mount]
adjective
1.
chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent: a point of paramount significance.
2.
above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction.
noun
3.
a supreme ruler; overlord.

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Paramount is a GRE word you need to know.
So is paralyze. Does it mean:
to bring to a condition of stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act
agreement in direction, tendency, or character
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Origin:
1525–35; < Anglo-French paramont above, equivalent to par per- + a mont < Latin ad montem to the mountain, hence, in Old French: upward, above; see ad-, mount2

Related forms
par·a·mount·cy, noun
par·a·mount·ly, adverb
su·per·par·a·mount, adjective

Can be confused: paramount, tantamount, ultimately.

Synonyms
1. See dominant.

Antonyms
1. unimportant.

Example Sentences
  • Preserving wildlife, notably migratory birds and the iconic woodland caribou, is the paramount purpose.
  • Recognizing the insider power of the sentinels therefore is paramount.
  • Long term employment of all citizens is paramount.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

Par·a·mount

   [par-uh-mount]
noun
a city in SW California, near Los Angeles. 36,407.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To paramount
Collins
World English Dictionary
paramount (ˈpærəˌmaʊnt)
 
—adj
1.  of the greatest importance or significance; pre-eminent
 
—n
2.  rare a supreme ruler
 
[C16: via Anglo-Norman from Old French paramont, from par by + -amont above, from Latin ad montem to the mountain]
 
'paramountcy
 
—n
 
'paramountly
 
—adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

paramount
1531, from Anglo-Fr. paramont "above" (in place, order, degree), 1339, from O.Fr. par "by" + amont "up," from a mont "upward." The whole from L. per ad montem, lit. "to the hill."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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