Etymologically
Log in

unimportant

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 1 November 2026 at 02:58. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌʌnɪmˈpɔːtənt/[1]
  • US: /ˌʌnɪmˈpɔɹtənt/[1]

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

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