paramount

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈpɛrəˌmaʊnt/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    More important than anything else; supreme; of the greatest significance or priority.; Having supreme power or authority; highest in rank or jurisdiction.
  2. noun
    A chief or superior; a person holding the highest authority.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: paramounts

Collocations

of paramount importanceparamount concernparamount significanceparamount considerationparamount objective

Derivatives

paramountcyparamountly

Synonyms

supremepreeminentforemostoverridingprincipalchief

Antonyms

insignificanttrivialminorsubordinate

Commonly confused

paramour
EN: 'Paramour' means a lover (especially an illicit one); 'paramount' means supreme or of the highest importance.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember 'paramount' ends in '-ount' (from Anglo-French 'par amount' meaning 'above all'), not '-ount' as in 'amount'—though they share the same root. Do not confuse with 'paramour.'

💬 Examples

  1. The safety of the passengers is of paramount importance to the airline.

  2. The king was the paramount ruler over all the lesser lords.

  3. The tribal paramount settled the dispute between the two villages.