-nt adjective
Etymology: Middle French, from Old Italian importante (verbal of importare to be important), from Latin important-, importans, present participle of importare to bring or carry in, convey, cause — more at import
1.
a. : marked by or possessing weight or consequence : valuable in content or relationship : significant
an important day in one's life
an important consideration
a country producing petroleum in important quantities
b. : significant or large in amount or size
spent important money on a small gem for his wife
an important part of the architect's time was devoted to department-store design — Current Biography
2.
a. : giving evidence of or seeming to relate to something of consequence
holding the attorney's letter in his hand, and with so solemn and important an air that his wife … thought the worst was about to befall — W.M.Thackeray
took long important strides in the direction of the courthouse
b. : giving evidence of a feeling of personal importance : marked by self-complacency, ostentation, or pompousness
an important manner
3. obsolete : importunate , urgent
• im·por·tant·ly adverb
• im·por·tant·ness noun -es