INDEX:
1. more important than anything else
2. the main part of a problem, idea, or belief
3. the main ideas in a speech, piece of writing etc
4. ways of stating the main reason for something or the main part of something
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ BASIC
↑ IMPORTANT
↑ IN GENERAL
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1. more important than anything else
▷ main /meɪn/ [adjective only before noun]
more important than anything else :
▪ Ben’s main problem was lack of money.
▪ You should clearly state your main idea at the beginning of the essay.
▪ We walked up the stairs to the main entrance of the building.
▪ The main reason kids don’t get vaccinated is that parents don’t realize how important it is.
▷ chief/principal /tʃiːf, ˈprɪnsə̇p ə l/ [adjective only before noun]
more important than anything else. Chief and principal mean the same as main, but they are used especially in written or formal English :
▪ Coffee is the country’s principal export.
▪ Kendall’s chief complaint about the opera is that the characters are not historically accurate.
▪ The chief purpose of the march was to draw attention to the poor condition of schools.
▷ major /ˈmeɪdʒəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
one of the most important or serious things - use this especially when there is a small number of really important things, but a larger number of less important things :
▪ Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.
▪ I thought we agreed to talk to each other before making any major decisions.
major city
large and important city
▪ Gang activity that was limited to major cities has now spilled over to towns and rural areas.
▷ key /kiː/ [adjective usually before noun]
a key person or thing is one that is the most important because everything depends on them :
▪ We don’t have much time, so let’s concentrate on the key issues.
▪ Transport and communications are key areas of the economy.
be key to (doing) something
▪ Laws are key to maintaining an orderly society.
▷ primary /ˈpraɪm ə riǁ-meri/ [adjective only before noun]
primary concern/responsibility/reason/role etc
the most important one :
▪ As always, security is our primary concern.
▪ Financial reward is the primary reason most people work.
▷ prime /praɪm/ [adjective only before noun]
prime suspect/target/candidate
the one most likely to be chosen :
▪ Tourists are prime targets for theft and robbery.
▪ The FBI regarded him as its prime suspect in the case.
▪ Cheryl is a prime candidate for the new managerial position.
▷ predominant /prɪˈdɒmɪnənt, prɪˈdɒmənəntǁ-ˈdɑː-/ [adjective]
more noticeable, more powerful, or more common than others :
▪ Yellow is the predominant color in most of his paintings.
▪ When we visited the country, our predominant impression was one of poverty and hardship.
▷ core /kɔːʳ/ [adjective usually before noun]
use this about the main and most important parts of a subject, activity, plan etc :
▪ We concentrate most on teaching the core skills of reading, writing, and mathematics.
▪ The government will discuss what they say are the core issues of education and health care.
2. the main part of a problem, idea, or belief
▷ crux /krʌks/ [singular noun]
the most important part of a difficult problem, a question, or an argument etc that must be dealt with or understood before any further progress can be made :
▪ Whether we can get funding or not is the crux.
the crux of the matter/problem/question etc
▪ Finding a cheap source of energy is really the crux of the matter.
▪ The crux of the court case is whether consumers deserve a refund.
▷ essence /ˈes ə ns/ [singular noun]
the main feature or quality that gives something its own special character :
the essence of something
▪ Equality is the essence of democracy.
▪ The essence of his teachings can be summed up in the phrase ‘Know yourself.’
▷ heart /hɑːʳt/ [singular noun]
the most important part of a problem, consideration, question etc :
the heart of the matter/problem/question etc
▪ Let’s stop talking about irrelevant issues, and get to the heart of the matter.
lie at the heart of something
▪ Money always lies at the heart of our fights.
go/get to the heart of something
▪ This new book gets to the heart of the controversy over nuclear power.
▷ core /kɔːʳ/ [singular noun]
the main part of an idea, belief, way of thinking etc, that everything else depends on :
the core of something
▪ The core of the play’s appeal is that the good guys win in the end.
to the core of something
▪ She had the ability to cut through to the core of a problem.
at the core of something
▪ The profit motive is at the core of the capitalist system.
▷ the bottom line /ðə ˌbɒtəm ˈlaɪnǁ-ˌbɑː-/ [noun phrase]
the main fact about a situation, that must be accepted and cannot be changed or avoided :
▪ Most people want to work in a place where they feel valued. That’s the bottom line.
the bottom line is
▪ The bottom line is, he’s gone and he’s not coming back.
3. the main ideas in a speech, piece of writing etc
▷ the main/key points /ðə ˌmeɪn, ˌkiː ˈpɔɪnts/ [noun phrase]
the main ideas or the basic meaning of a speech, piece of writing etc :
▪ I made a few notes of the main points I wanted to cover in the speech.
▪ The following article explains four key points that all new investors should understand.
▷ the gist /ðə ˈdʒɪst/ [singular noun]
the general meaning of a speech, argument, piece of writing etc, without all the details :
the gist of
▪ The gist of the article is that children should have more rights in deciding their own futures.
get the gist
understand the general meaning
▪ I couldn’t hear everything they said but I got the gist.
▷ the thrust of something /ðə ˈθrʌst əv something/ [noun phrase]
the main aim or purpose of an argument, speech, or political action :
▪ The whole thrust of the US policy was to isolate Cuba.
▪ The thrust of the case is whether the federal law overrides the state ban.
▷ essentials /ɪˈsenʃ ə lz/ [plural noun]
the most important facts or ideas in a statement, for example in a description of events or a set of arguments or opinions :
▪ When reduced to their essentials, most religions are not so different.
essentials of
▪ She was always very quick to grasp the essentials of an opponent’s argument.
4. ways of stating the main reason for something or the main part of something
▷ mainly /ˈmeɪnli/ [adverb]
use this to say what the main reason for something or the main part of something is :
▪ I was asked to lead the meeting mainly because Kristin is out of town.
▪ My new job’s fairly boring - it’s mainly typing.
▪ The company sells its batteries mainly through electronics stores.
▷ largely/chiefly /ˈlɑːʳdʒli, ˈtʃiːfli/ [adverb]
largely and chiefly mean the same as mainly, but they are used especially in written or formal English :
▪ The bird lives chiefly on mice and other small animals.
▪ The report says that drug use is largely responsible for the 40% rise in the city’s homicide rate.
▪ Money raised by the new tax is to be used chiefly for road construction.
▷ primarily/principally /ˈpraɪm ə rəliǁpraɪˈmerəli, ˈprɪnsə̇pli/ [adverb]
firstly and most importantly :
▪ Foreign aid is intended principally for the south of the region.
▪ The agency is primarily concerned with making sure the nation’s food supplies are safe.
▪ She has a degree in anthropology, but she’s primarily a writer.
▷ above all /əˌbʌv ˈɔːl/ [adverb]
most importantly compared to other things, especially ones you have just mentioned :
▪ Above all, she will be remembered for all the work she did in the community.
▪ Teaching history means above all knowing how to tell a story.
▷ first and foremost /ˌfɜːʳst ənd ˈfɔːʳməʊst/ [adverb]
use this to say that something is the most important thing, and needs to be dealt with before anything else and given attention before anything else :
▪ First and foremost, they are looking for ways to save money.
▪ What children need first and foremost from their parents is a sense of security.