paramount
More important than anything else; supreme
Examples
In a meeting
“Customer satisfaction is paramount to our business model.”
Over coffee
“Safety is paramount when you're hiking alone.”
Why this word
important
paramount means supreme or above all others in importance, while important is a general term for significance
critical
paramount emphasizes being of highest rank or priority, while critical means essential or at a crucial point
essential
paramount stresses supremacy over all other considerations, while essential means necessary but not necessarily preeminent
Usage tip
Use to emphasize that something is the single most important priority above all others
Etymology
Anglo-French 'paramont' (par 'by' + amont 'above,' from Latin ad montem 'to the mountain')
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Related words
fundamental
Forming a necessary base or core; of central importance.
emphasize
Give special importance or prominence to something
trivial
Of little importance or value; minor
underscore
To emphasize or highlight the importance of something
imperative
Absolutely necessary or urgent
indispensable
Absolutely necessary and cannot be done without