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
Perhaps most importantly, these new approaches to sound systems operate without any user intervention.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Perhaps most importantly, the DR-S350NW adds Wi-Fi, which the DR-S250N does not have.
—David English, PCMAG, 9 Mar. 2025
Even more importantly, because Velocity vehicles are designed to work with modern mechanical systems, they can be serviced by any qualified technician.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025
More importantly for these Huskies would be continuing to build their momentum before heading into Madison Square Garden.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for importantly
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Perhaps most importantly, the DR-S350NW adds Wi-Fi, which the DR-S250N does not have.
—David English, PCMAG, 9 Mar. 2025
Even more importantly, because Velocity vehicles are designed to work with modern mechanical systems, they can be serviced by any qualified technician.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025
More importantly for these Huskies would be continuing to build their momentum before heading into Madison Square Garden.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for importantly
Articles Related to importantly
Cite this Entry
“Importantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/importantly. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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