Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: French
Origin: Old Italian importante 'carrying a meaning, significant', from Latin importare; IMPORT2

important

 adjective
     
im‧por‧tant S1 W1
1 an important event, decision, problem etc has a big effect or influence on people's lives or on events in the future:
a very important meeting
The accident taught him an important lesson.
Happiness is more important than money.
'What did you say?' 'Oh, nothing important.'
it is important (to do something)
It's important to explain the procedure to the patient.
It's vitally important that you understand the danger.
important for
It was important for the president to continue his schedule, regardless of the bomb threat.
important to
Nothing could be more important to me than my family.
! When you mean that you care or think about something a lot, say that it is important to you, not that it is 'important for' you.
2 people who are important have a lot of power or influence:
a very important customer
They carry guns because it makes them feel important.
WORD FOCUS: important WORD FOCUS: important
similar words: main, key, chief, principal, leading, vital, crucial, essential, significant
not important: unimportant, trivial, minor, irrelevant, insignificant
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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