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
2
a
: in an important way
… contributed importantly to the language of the field.—Ernst Mayr
… the real story is importantly different from the one surmised.—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
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.
second and most important, the book contains no important woman character
—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
importantly, the leaven in the mixture is quality
—George O'Brien
Cite this Entry
“Importantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/importantly. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.
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