Meaning & use
paramount importance
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
The highest level of importance; something that must be put before everything else.
Grammar: Usually follows is, are or be: safety is of paramount importance.
Patterns
- be of paramount importance
- be of paramount importance to someone
Safety is of paramount importance on a construction site.
It is of paramount importance that every witness tells the truth.
Trust is of paramount importance to us.
Common combinations
- of paramount importance
- Clear communication is of paramount importance in an emergency.
- remain of paramount importance
- Privacy must remain of paramount importance to the company.
- a matter of paramount importance
- The decision was a matter of paramount importance to the town.
- considered of paramount importance
- Customer trust was considered of paramount importance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- utmost importance
- Utmost importance means the same level, but is slightly less formal and more common in speech.
- vital
- Vital is a single adjective for something essential, while paramount importance ranks something above all else.
- top priority
- Top priority is plainer and focuses on what is done first.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: paramount importance or paramount significance?
paramount importance vs paramount significance
Significance means meaning or effect, while importance is how much something matters, so paramount importance is the usual phrase.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed pattern is of paramount importance. The other prepositions and word order are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “paramount importance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.