From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimportanceim‧por‧tance /ɪmˈpɔːtəns $ -ɔːr-/ ●●● S3 W1 noun [singular, uncountable] IMPORTANTthe quality of being importantthe importance of something the importance of regular exercise I agree about the importance of these proposals (=the reasons why they are important).of importance They make decisions about various matters of importance (=important matters). He was full of his own importance (=he behaved in an annoying way which showed that he thought he was very important).THESAURUSimportance the quality of being importantthe importance of cleanliness in preventing infectionsHe may have been an evil tyrant, but you cannot deny his importance in world history.significance the importance of an event, action etc, especially because of the effects or influence it will have in the futureThe significance of the discovery was not understood until years later.9/11 was an event of global significance.value the importance and usefulness or somethingThe athletes talked to the students about the value of a college education.Such methods are of little value.prominence the fact of being important and well-knownHe first came to prominence (=became well-known )in the 1990s. COLLOCATIONSverbshave importanceThis is an issue that has importance for all of us.attach importance to something (=think it is important)She attached great importance to loyalty.recognize/realize the importance of somethingWe all recognize the importance of his work.emphasize/stress the importance of somethingI'd like to emphasize the importance of reading exam questions carefully.assume importance (=become important)The town assumed importance once it was connected to the rail system.lose its importanceThe island lost its importance when trade routes changed.exceed something in importance formal (=be more important than something else)For him, winning Wimbledon exceeded all other tournaments in importance.adjectivesgreat/considerable/enormous importanceCrime rates have great importance for the government.Some people attach enormous importance to personal wealth.vital/crucial/critical importance (=very great)This research is of vital importance.central/fundamental importanceThe central importance of interest rates is widely recognized.particular importanceTourism has particular importance in some regions.equal importanceWhen applying for a job, qualifications and experience are often of equal importance.relative importanceWe discussed the relative importance of these different sources of revenue.growing/increasing importancethe growing importance of the Internet as a source of informationeconomic/political importanceThe role of the police has great political importance.local/national importanceCrime is an issue of national importance.practical importance (=related to things that happen, rather than just ideas)Science has long been of practical importance to civilization as a whole.phrasesa sense/feeling of importance (=a feeling that you are an important person)Sitting behind the big desk gave her a feeling of importance.be of little/no importanceWhere the money came from is of no importance.be of the utmost importance/be of paramount importance (=be extremely important)It is of the utmost importance that this matter is kept confidential.be of primary importance formal (=be the most important thing)Finishing the project on time is of primary importance.be of secondary importance formal (=be less important than another thing)Sometimes we forget that the media coverage of a sport is actually of secondary importance to the event itself.
Examples from the Corpus
importance• The distinction between them is of considerable importance.• Something we have known for many years is of deep importance in comprehending the world of the dying person.• He will have importance, though.• Explain the importance of the Monroe Doctrine in a 750-word essay.• The effect of increasing affluence is to minimize the importance of economic goals.• The importance attached to every other issue rose sharply when the campaign opened but the importance attached to defence hardly changed.• The importance of these actions is that they legitimise intervention in other spheres, from trade to the environment.• The several statements should be arranged in order of their importance.the importance of something• As a character, I am not so sure about the importance of his role.• And underlying all is the bedrock agreement on the goal and on the importance of that goal.• As Mr Torode points out, our liberal forefathers insisted on the importance of testing faiths by submitting them to discussion.• Interestingly, it was only with this loss that many husbands realised the importance of their spouse's wage to the family.• Regressive between tax-payers Reflecting the importance of housing in the household budget, domestic rates fell most heavily on the low-income groups.• Brief opening remarks by each speaker stressing the importance of particular points. 