important

Etymology

From Middle English important, from Medieval Latin important-, importāns. Displaced native Old English heah and hefig.

adj

1. Having relevant and crucial value; having import.
   It is very important to give your daughter independence in her life so she learns from experience.
   For this was the most important thing, that when a person felt strongly about an issue in life, it mustn’t be ignored by others; for if it was, everything subsequent to it would turn out badly, even though there should seem to be no direct connection. 1988, Robert Ferro, Second Son
   In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual. 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3
2. (obsolete) Pompous; self-important.