importantly
adverb
im·por·tant·ly
im-ˈpȯr-tᵊnt-lē 
especially Southern US and New England -tənt-,
-dənt-
1
—used to say that what follows in a sentence is important
… much more importantly he stands a chance of having his publication barred …—
H. L. Mencken
H. L. Mencken2
a
: in an important way
… contributed importantly to the language of the field.—Ernst Mayr
Ernst Mayr… the real story is importantly different from the one surmised.—Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Woollcott
b
: in a self-important or pompous manner
… he talked importantly of the managerial position he had reached, after a lifetime of devotion and toil …—William Trevor
William Trevor
Importantly vs. Important: Usage Guide
A number of commentators have objected to importantly as a sentence modifier (the use defined above at sense 1) and have recommended important instead. Actually, both the adverb and the adjective are in reputable standard use in this function. Important is always used with more or most.
had bronze weapons and composite bows; more important, they utilized the horse and war chariot
—Harry A. Gailey, Jr.
Harry A. Gailey, Jr.
second and most important, the book contains no important woman character
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Importantly is commonly used in similar contexts, but it is somewhat more flexible in not requiring more or most.
sticks and, just as importantly, unsticks easily
—Phoebe Hawkins
Phoebe Hawkins
importantly, the leaven in the mixture is quality
—George O'Brien
George O'Brien
Examples of importantly in a Sentence
Her research has contributed importantly to our understanding of the disease.
He strutted to and fro importantly, ordering everybody around.
Recent Examples on the Web
The spirit of continuing forward has long underpinned our approach to life—in business, in philanthropy and most importantly, as a family.
—Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
And most importantly, don’t wait until there’s a crisis.
—Charlyn Tanner, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
And most importantly, saving you from being scammed.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Ahead, our top picks for the best foam mattresses that strike the right balance of plushness and structure—so the bed looks good, and more importantly, feels even better for your best possible night sleep.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for importantly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
And most importantly, don’t wait until there’s a crisis.
—Charlyn Tanner, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
And most importantly, saving you from being scammed.
—Julia Avant, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
Ahead, our top picks for the best foam mattresses that strike the right balance of plushness and structure—so the bed looks good, and more importantly, feels even better for your best possible night sleep.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for importantly
Cite this Entry
“Importantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/importantly. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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