paramount en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpæɹəmaʊnt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈpɛɹəˌmaʊnt/ General American, Mary–marry–merry merger
- /ˈpæɹəˌmaʊnt/ (General-American) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
PIE word *h₂éd From Anglo-Norman paramont /paramount (“paramount, pre-eminent; above”), from Old French par /per (“by”) + amont /amunt (“upward”). Par is derived from Latin per (“by means of, through”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through; to carry forth, fare”); amont and amunt are from Latin ad montem (“to the mountain; upward”), from ad (“up to”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“at; to”)) + montem (the accusative singular of mōns (“mount, mountain”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stand out, tower”)).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable, often, postpositional) Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.
The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. […] The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared.
1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:Hitherto she had chiefly dwelt on her unkindness and neglect; but absence, like charity, covers a multitude of sins; and the thought now paramount was, that she should see her no more.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XIV, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 168:[…]a Traitor Paramount;
1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC, page 68:
-
(not-comparable) Of the highest importance.
Getting those credit cards paid off is paramount.
- (not-comparable, obsolete) Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another.
Antonyms
piddling · slight · pitiful · idle · minor · negligible · contemptible · mean · for the birds · like a fart in a windstorm · immaterial · piteous · unimportant · ticky-tacky · foolish · pointless · simple · indifferent · inconsiderable · picayune · wretched · petty · floccinaucinihilipilificatious · pissant · tin-pot · base · silly · pissass · paravail · frivolous · miserable · vain · insignificant · piddly · nondescript · meager · trifling · ignorable · null · unweighty · nothingburger · trivial · worthless · two-bit · futile · paltry · picayunish · inconsequential
Deriveds
paramount title · paramountness · lord paramount · paramount chief · paramountship · paramountcy · paramountly · lady paramount
Synonyms
significant · greater · utmost · crowning · higher · pertinent · life-or-death · weighty · historic · relevant · remarkable · essential · outstanding · fateful · key · ferior · consequential · preeminent · heavy · vaulting · paramount · crucial · fatesome · crucial · observable · unignorable · vital · pivotal · salient · major · meaningful · fatefraught · utmost · critical · epochful · high on the totem pole · valuable · superior · noted · paramount · necessary · foremost · big · noticeable · extraordinary · central · innegligible · imperative · supreme
Translations (61)
gv ard-niartal (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · cmn 最高的 (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · es primordial (of the highest importance) · pt sumo (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ru первостепе́нный (of the highest importance) · cmn 至高的 (of the highest importance) · ru главне́йший (of the highest importance) · es prioritario (of the highest importance) · sv överlägsen (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ro suprem (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · bg висш (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · fi tärkein (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · de vorrangig (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · de hervorragend (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · gu સર્વોચ્ચ (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · kk абзал (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · tr ulu (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · it capitale (of the highest importance) · ru приорите́тный (of the highest importance) · tr yüce (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · hu mindenek felett való (of the highest importance) · ps عالي (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ru вы́сший (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · mk прво́степен (of the highest importance) · ru архива́жный (of the highest importance) · it essenziale (of the highest importance) · fr capital (of the highest importance) · mk на́јважен (of the highest importance) · pt supremo (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · de höchst (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · tr azam (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ar أعلى فائق (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · pt primordial (of the highest importance) · it fondamentale (of the highest importance) · mk вр́ховен (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · nl opperste (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ru первостепе́нный (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · es sumo (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · de überragend (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · fr primordial (of the highest importance) · pt vital (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · gv ard-scanshoil (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · es supremo (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · uk верхо́вний (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ar أساسي (of the highest importance) · ps پارا مائونټ (of the highest importance) · ka უმაღლესი (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · fr suprême (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · cmn 無上 /无上 (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · hi सर्वोपरि (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · hi सर्वोच्च (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ru важне́йший (of the highest importance) · hi सर्वोच्च (of the highest importance) · gv ard-chummaghtagh (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · ru краеуго́льный (of the highest importance) · bg върховен (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · it primordiale (of the highest importance) · bg най-важен (of the highest importance) · pl prymarny (highest, supreme — see also supreme) · it prioritario (of the highest importance) · cmn 至高無上 /至高无上 (highest, supreme — see also supreme)