/ ˈpærəmaʊnt; NAmE / adjective
1.
more important than anything else :
This matter is of paramount importance .
Safety is paramount.
2.
( formal ) having the highest position or the greatest power :
China's paramount leader
► para·mount·cy / -maʊntsi; NAmE / noun [ U ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense highest in jurisdiction in the phrases lord paramount and paramount chief ): from Anglo-Norman French paramont , from Old French par by + amont above.