unimportant

Etymology

It is formed from English un- + important.^[2][3][4] The base adjective is from Medieval Latin importāns, the present participle of importō (“to be significant”), from Latin importō (“to bring in”), from in- and portō (“to carry”).^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Unassuming, modest, not putting on airs: 1727, in a letter by Pope;^[2][4] Johnson (1755) illustrated this sense with a quotation from Pope.^[5]

Semantic evolution

Pope's sense, modest or unassuming, stayed rare.^[2][3] The usual sense, of no importance, of little account, is first found in 1750, in a letter by Lord Chesterfield.^[2][4] Johnson's first edition (1755) gave only the sense "assuming no airs of dignity"; the 1773 edition put "not momentous" first.^[5]

Timeline

• 1727 – unassuming, modest (rare).^[2][4]
• 1750 – of no importance or moment.^[2][4]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Having little or no importance; trivial or minor: Don't worry about such unimportant details.^[6][7][2]
2. (rare) Modest; not putting on airs.^[2][3]

Word family

• unimportance

Related words

• important
• importance
• import

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.
6. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
7. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster