paramount 1 of 2

adjective

ˈper-ə-ˌmau̇nt How to pronounce paramount (audio)
Definition of paramountnext
1
as in main
coming before all others in importance the paramount goal is to restore the colonial-era house with complete historical accuracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in utmost
of the greatest or highest degree or quantity maintaining the secrecy of the agreement is of paramount importance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

paramount

2 of 2

noun

as in Big Brother

Related Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word paramount different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of paramount are dominant, predominant, and preponderant. While all these words mean "superior to all others in influence or importance," paramount implies supremacy in importance, rank, or jurisdiction.

unemployment was the paramount issue in the campaign

When is dominant a more appropriate choice than paramount?

The meanings of dominant and paramount largely overlap; however, dominant applies to something that is uppermost because ruling or controlling.

a dominant social class

Where would predominant be a reasonable alternative to paramount?

While in some cases nearly identical to paramount, predominant applies to something that exerts, often temporarily, the most marked influence.

a predominant emotion

When might preponderant be a better fit than paramount?

The synonyms preponderant and paramount are sometimes interchangeable, but preponderant applies to an element or factor that outweighs all others in influence or effect.

preponderant evidence in her favor

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paramount
Adjective
Proper technique and use are paramount. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026 Vance added that the president continues to sympathize with the Iranian people, but nuclear weapons remain a paramount interest. —Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026 With a boss so demanding and painstaking, finding another ideal fit is paramount. —Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026 Medicaid will only remain sustainable if accountability is paramount. —Miki Kapoor, New York Daily News, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paramount
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramount
  1. main
  2. utmost
  3. Big Brother
  4. most
  5. totalitarian
  6. foremost
  7. maximum
  8. potentate
Adjective
  • White actually carried main voice Terry Gannon through parts of the broadcast.
    — John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Shah’s daughter, Smita Shah, is a finance committee vice chair for Stratton’s main campaign fund, Juliana for Illinois.
    — Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • Every season teams vie with utmost seriousness for a title that doesn’t do them any good at all when the next season comes just a few months later.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
  • To honor the timeworn tradition of restoring the mind and body, being quiet and considerate while on site is of the utmost importance.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of utmost
Noun
  • Did playing any of the other games like Big Brother, The Traitors, or Snake in the Grass prepare you for this return in any way?
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Feb. 2026
  • On his first Father’s Day, the Celebrity Big Brother alum dropped a visual accompaniment to one of his 2005 tracks.
    — Sarah Title, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of Big Brother
Adjective
  • By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend.
    — Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Venevision, which like most private networks dropped coverage critical of the government in recent years, has reopened its airwaves to anti-government voices, covering opposition leader María Corina Machado's every move in Washington since Maduro's capture.
    — EGINA GARCIA CANO, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of most
Noun
  • But, ten years later, his embrace of near-totalitarian control bears the deep imprint of his most personal beliefs about force, weakness, faith, and order.
    — Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2022
  • But that would not address the fundamental goal of the protests: to end the totalitarian stranglehold that has subjected the Cubans to an unbearable serfdom.
    — Néstor T. Carbonell, National Review, 16 July 2021
Definition of totalitarian
Adjective
  • About Artforum Artforum is the magazine of record for the contemporary art industry and holds the unique roles of institution, nexus, and foremost tastemaker of the art world.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Here are the foremost players who hit that category for the Broncos in 2026, according to OvertheCap.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of foremost
Adjective
  • The effect is country salvage, designed for maximum gardening efficiency.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Feb. 2026
  • State-of-the-art facilities like a high-speed gondola and high-tech snowmaking systems ensure maximum stoke.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of maximum
Noun
  • Biden put this sentiment into action by working with Netanyahu despite serious moral and political failures in Gaza, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on NATO expansion, and with Gulf potentates on the region’s security architecture.
    — James Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 13 Nov. 2025
  • Why don’t all the rich potentates, sheiks, oligarchs and MAGA dictators meet and fix it?
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
Definition of potentate

Browse Nearby Words

paramilitary
paramount
paramountcy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paramount.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramount. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on paramount

Nglish: Translation of paramount for Spanish Speakers

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