im ‧ por ‧ tance S3 W1 /ɪmˈpɔːt ə ns $ -ɔːr-/ BrE AmE noun [singular, uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ importance ; adverb : ↑ importantly ; adjective : ↑ important ≠ ↑ unimportant ]
the quality of being important
the importance of something
the importance of regular exercise
I agree about the importance of these proposals (=the reasons why they are important) .
of importance
They make decisions about various matters of importance (=important matters) .
He was full of his own importance (=he behaved in an annoying way which showed that he thought he was very important) .
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have importance
This is an issue that has importance for all of us.
▪ attach importance to something (=think it is important)
She attached great importance to loyalty.
▪ recognize/realize the importance of something
We all recognize the importance of his work.
▪ emphasize/stress the importance of something
I'd like to emphasize the importance of reading exam questions carefully.
▪ assume importance (=become important)
The town assumed importance once it was connected to the rail system.
▪ lose its importance
The island lost its importance when trade routes changed.
▪ exceed something in importance formal (=be more important than something else)
For him, winning Wimbledon exceeded all other tournaments in importance.
■ adjectives
▪ great/considerable/enormous importance
Crime rates have great importance for the government.
|
Some people attach enormous importance to personal wealth.
▪ vital/crucial/critical importance (=very great )
This research is of vital importance.
▪ central/fundamental importance
The central importance of interest rates is widely recognized.
▪ particular importance
Tourism has particular importance in some regions.
▪ equal importance
When applying for a job, qualifications and experience are often of equal importance.
▪ relative importance
We discussed the relative importance of these different sources of revenue.
▪ growing/increasing importance
the growing importance of the Internet as a source of information
▪ economic/political importance
The role of the police has great political importance.
▪ local/national importance
Crime is an issue of national importance.
▪ practical importance (=related to things that happen, rather than just ideas)
Science has long been of practical importance to civilization as a whole.
■ phrases
▪ a sense/feeling of importance (=a feeling that you are an important person)
Sitting behind the big desk gave her a feeling of importance.
▪ be of little/no importance
Where the money came from is of no importance.
▪ be of the utmost importance/be of paramount importance (=be extremely important)
It is of the utmost importance that this matter is kept confidential.
▪ be of primary importance formal (=be the most important thing)
Finishing the project on time is of primary importance.
▪ be of secondary importance formal (=be less important than another thing)
Sometimes we forget that the media coverage of a sport is actually of secondary importance to the event itself.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ importance the quality of being important:
the importance of cleanliness in preventing infections
|
He may have been an evil tyrant, but you cannot deny his importance in world history.
▪ significance the importance of an event, action etc, especially because of the effects or influence it will have in the future:
The significance of the discovery was not understood until years later.
|
9/11 was an event of global significance.
▪ value the importance and usefulness or something:
The athletes talked to the students about the value of a college education.
|
Such methods are of little value.
▪ prominence the fact of being important and well-known:
He first came to prominence (=became well-known ) in the 1990s.