Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

importance

 noun
     
im‧por‧tance S2 W1 [singular, uncountable]
the quality of being important
the importance of something
the importance of regular exercise
The fur trade now exceeded timber in importance.
Hindus attach great importance to food preparation. (=it is very important to them)
great/growing/paramount etc importance
The men were on a mission of vital importance to their country.
of primary/secondary/equal importance
Sometimes we forget that the media coverage of a sport is actually of secondary importance to the event itself.
I agree about the importance of these proposals (=the reasons why they are important).
Just being in the studio gave her a sense of importance (=she felt important).
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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