Nearby Words

unimportant

[im-pawr-tnt] Origin

im·por·tant

[im-pawr-tnt]
adjective
1.
of much or great significance or consequence: an important event in world history.
2.
mattering much (usually followed by to): details important to a fair decision.
3.
entitled to more than ordinary consideration or notice: an important exception.
4.
prominent or large: He played an important part in national politics.
5.
of considerable influence or authority, as a person or position: an important scientist.
EXPAND
6.
having social position or distinction, as a person or family: important guests.
7.
pompous; pretentious: When speaking, he assumes an important attitude that offends his audience.
8.
Obsolete. importunate.
COLLAPSE

Origin:
1580–90; < Medieval Latin important- (stem of importāns present participle of importāre to be of consequence, weigh, Latin: to carry in, import), equivalent to im- im-1 + port- port5 + -ant- -ant; see import

im·por·tant·ly, adverb
half-im·por·tant, adjective
half-im·por·tant·ly, adverb
pre·im·por·tant, adjective
pre·im·por·tant·ly, adverb
EXPAND
qua·si-im·por·tant, adjective
qua·si-im·por·tant·ly, adverb
su·per·im·por·tant, adjective
su·per·im·por·tant·ly, adverb
un·im·por·tant, adjective
un·im·por·tant·ly, adverb
COLLAPSE


Both more important and more importantly occur at the beginning of a sentence in all varieties of standard English: More important (or More importantly), her record as an administrator is unmatched. Today, more importantly is the more common, even though some object to its use on the grounds that more important is an elliptical form of “What is more important” and that the adverb importantly could not occur in such a construction. More importantly probably developed by analogy with other sentence-modifying adverbs, as curiously, fortunately, and regrettably.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Unimportant is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Collins
World English Dictionary
unimportant (ˌʌnɪmˈpɔːtənt)
 
adj
lacking in significance or value: unimportant matters

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

important
1444, from M.Fr. important, from M.L. importantem (nom. importans), prp. of importare "be significant in," from L. importare "bring in" (see import).
EXPAND

unimportant
1750, from un- (1) "not" + important. Used earlier in a sense of "unassuming, modest" (1727).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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