Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Significant, valuable, or having great consequence: Describes something that matters greatly, carries weight, or is of considerable significance.

Usage

• The adjective "of import" is formal and somewhat literary. It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be") to emphasize the high significance or value of the subject.
• It is synonymous with "important" but is less common in everyday modern English.

Examples

• Attributive use (before a noun):
  • The committee discussed matters of import for the future of the company.
  • He made a decision of import that affected the entire community.
• Predicative use (after a linking verb):
  • This historical document is truly of import.
  • The scientist's discovery was of great import to the field.

Advanced Usage

• "of great import": A common intensifying phrase meaning "very important."
  • The treaty was of great import to diplomatic relations.
• "of little/no import": A phrase meaning "of little or no importance."
  • The minor grammatical error was of little import to the overall message.

Variants and Related Words

• Importance (n): The state or fact of being significant.
  • The importance of this event cannot be overstated.
• Import (n): As a noun, "import" can mean significance or meaning, in addition to its common meaning related to bringing goods into a country.
  • She understood the full import of his words.

Synonyms

• Important: Of great significance or value.
• Significant: Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention.
• Consequential: Important; significant.
• Momentous: Of great importance or significance, especially in its bearing on the future.

Antonyms

• Unimportant: Lacking in importance or significance.
• Trivial: Of little value or importance.
• Insignificant: Too small or unimportant to be worth consideration.

Notes

• The phrase "of import" functions as a compound adjective. Its core meaning is identical to the adjective "important," but its usage conveys a more formal or weighty tone. It is often found in written, academic, or historical contexts.

Adjective

1. of great significance or value
   • important people
   • the important questions of the day