paramount

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”)).

adj

1. (often postpositive) Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.
2. Of the highest importance.
   Getting those credit cards paid off is paramount.
3. (obsolete) Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another.

noun

1. A chief or superior; (specifically, chiefly South Africa) an African chief having the highest status in a region; a paramount chief.
2. (obsolete) A supreme ruler; an overlord; (specifically, historical) in the feudal system, a landowner who did not derive ownership of the land from anyone else, and who was able to grant fees to others; a lord paramount.