Adjective B1 — Intermediate /ɪmˈpɔː.tənt/

Important — Definition, Examples & Pronunciation

Having great significance or value — a word that marks what truly matters.

Quick Definition

Important (adjective) — having great significance or value; having influence or authority. Something important deserves serious attention because it has a major effect on people, events, or outcomes.

What Does Important Mean?

Important is one of the most frequently used adjectives in the English language. It comes from the Latin importare — meaning "to bring in" or "to be of consequence" — via the Medieval Latin importantem and French important. The word entered English in the 16th century; its meaning shifted from "bearing something in" to "bearing weight", i.e. carrying significance.

Today, important describes anything that has real consequence — a decision, a person, a deadline, a skill. It can describe things that are significant in a broad sense ("an important discovery") or things that matter personally ("it is important to me"). Understanding how to use important naturally — especially in the patterns it is important to… and it is important that… — will immediately lift the quality of your English writing and speaking.

The key related forms are: the noun importance, the adverb importantly (used especially in more importantly… to signal a stronger point), and the negative adjective unimportant. The comparative and superlative are more important and most important — never importanter or importantest.

Example Sentences by Level

LevelSentenceUsage note
A2 Sleep is important for your health. predicative adjective after linking verb
B1 It is important to revise vocabulary regularly. it is important + infinitive (the most common spoken pattern)
B1 She played an important role in organising the event. attributive adjective before noun
B2 It is important that all team members attend the briefing on time. it is important + that-clause; subjunctive 'attend' in formal British English
C1 More importantly, the study highlights the need for policy reform in areas previously overlooked by legislators. sentence adverb (importantly) used for discourse signalling in academic writing

Collocations

CollocationExample
vitally important It is vitally important to back up your data regularly.
extremely important Listening skills are extremely important in business.
particularly important Context is particularly important when learning vocabulary.
critically important Early diagnosis is critically important for a good outcome.
increasingly important Digital literacy has become increasingly important in the workplace.
most important What is the most important thing you learned today?
an important role Teachers play an important role in shaping young minds.
an important decision Choosing a career is an important decision.
an important factor Diet is an important factor in overall well-being.
more importantly The price is fair; more importantly, the quality is excellent.

Usage Notes

How to Use Important Correctly

Pattern 1 — it is important + infinitive: "It is important to listen carefully." This is the most common spoken pattern. The subject is a dummy it; the real subject is the infinitive phrase.

Pattern 2 — it is important + that-clause: "It is important that she arrives on time." In formal or academic writing, the verb in the that-clause is often in the subjunctive: "It is important that she arrive on time." Both forms are acceptable in British English.

Pattern 3 — noun + is important: "Consistency is important." Simple and direct — common in spoken English and straightforward writing.

Adverb use: Use importantly (not important) as a sentence adverb: "More importantly, we must consider the long-term consequences." In formal writing, always use importantly; in casual speech, more important is sometimes heard but is non-standard.

Common Mistakes

Watch Out For

The important of practice cannot be overstated.

The importance of practice cannot be overstated. (use the noun importance, not the adjective)

This task is more importanter than the other one.

This task is more important than the other one. (never add -er to important)

It is important studying every day.

It is important to study every day. (use the to-infinitive, not a gerund, after it is important)

Sleep is very much important for children.

Sleep is very important for children. (do not insert much between very and important)

Related Words

importance (noun) importantly (adverb) unimportant significant essential crucial critical vital key major

Synonyms

significant essential crucial vital key critical major noteworthy

Antonyms

unimportant insignificant trivial minor negligible

Practise This Word

Flash Cards Complete the Sentence Vocabulary Quiz Hangman

Frequently Asked Questions about “important”

What does important mean in English?
Important means having great significance, value, or influence. Something important deserves serious attention because it matters greatly or has a major effect on people or events. For example, ‘It is important to revise vocabulary regularly’ means that revising vocabulary has real value and should not be ignored.
What is the difference between important and significant?
Both words describe something that matters, but they differ in tone. Important is more everyday and personal — ‘This meeting is important to me.’ Significant is slightly more formal and often implies a measurable or notable difference — ‘The results show a significant improvement.’ In academic writing, significant is preferred; in everyday speech, important is more common.
What is the noun form of important?
The noun form of important is importance: ‘the importance of sleep’, ‘a matter of great importance’. There is no standard plural form — importance is an uncountable noun. Avoid the common learner error of saying ‘the important of something’; the correct form is always ‘the importance of something’.
How do you use important in a sentence?
Important most commonly appears in three patterns: (1) It is important + infinitive: ‘It is important to listen carefully.’ (2) It is important + that-clause: ‘It is important that you arrive on time.’ (3) Noun + is important: ‘Sleep is important for your health.’ All three are natural in both spoken and written English.
What is the adverb form of important?
The adverb form is importantly. It is often used at the start of a sentence to emphasise a point: ‘More importantly, you must practise every day.’ Note that importantly is an adverb modifying the whole statement, not the adjective important itself.
What are common collocations with important?
Common collocations include: vitally important, extremely important, particularly important, critically important, most important, equally important, increasingly important, and importantly as a sentence adverb. You can also say ‘an important role’, ‘an important decision’, ‘an important meeting’, and ‘an important factor’.
What is the difference between important and essential?
Essential is stronger than important. Something essential is absolutely necessary — without it, something cannot exist or function. Something important matters greatly but is not necessarily indispensable. Water is essential for life; sleep is important for health. Use essential when you want to convey that there is no alternative.
Can important be used before a noun?
Yes, important is an attributive adjective and regularly appears before nouns: ‘an important decision’, ‘an important person’, ‘an important announcement’. It can also appear after a linking verb as a predicative adjective: ‘This decision is important.’ Both positions are correct.
What is the etymology of the word important?
Important comes from the Latin importare, meaning ‘to bring in’ or ‘to be of consequence’, via Medieval Latin importantem. It entered English in the 16th century through French important. The root portare (to carry) also appears in words such as export, transport, and portable. Over time, the sense shifted from ‘bearing in’ to ‘bearing weight’ — that is, having significance.
How can I practise using important in English?
Try LexFizz’s Complete the Sentence exercise to practise important in context, or use the Flash Cards tool to test this word alongside related vocabulary such as importance, significantly, and essential. Writing a short paragraph about something important in your life is also an excellent productive practice technique.