Etymologically
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important

Etymology and origin of the French word important

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1476
Borrowed from
Italian importante
Ultimate origin
Latin (importō)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /ɛ̃.pɔʁ.tɑ̃.t‿/[1]

Forms

important (feminine importante, masculine plural importants, feminine plural importantes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Italian importante (“of importance, especially of strategic or political interest”), found in the 15th century in the superlative “importantissime”, the present participle of importare, from Latin importō (“to bring in; to entail”).[2][3][4] It is related to importer “to matter”.[5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Bloch and Wartburg date it to 1476; in 1528 Jean du Bellay writes to Francis I of chose si importante “so important a matter”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Montaigne uses it of matters of consequence.[5] Of people it meant “influential” and, pejoratively, “self-important”: d'Aubigné (before 1630) has en faisant de l'important, and Scarron (1651) faire l'importante of a servant.[2][5] The sense “large, considerable” of quantities and sizes is recorded by Larousse in 1873.[4]

Timeline

  • 1476 – First record.[2][3]
  • 1528 – Chose si importante in a letter of Jean du Bellay.[2]
  • before 1630 – Faire l'important in d'Aubigné.[2]
  • 1651 – Faire l'importante in Scarron.[2]
  • 1873 – “Considerable in size or quantity”, in Larousse.[4]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. important, of consequence: une question importante, un rôle important.[6][7]
  2. Large, considerable: une somme importante, un retard important.[2][4]
  3. (of a person) Influential.[5][4]
  4. (pejorative) Self-important: faire l'important.[2][5]

Noun

  1. L'important: the main thing: l'important est qu'il guérisse.[8]

Word family

  • importamment
  • importance
  • importantissime

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  6. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Dictionnaire Le Robert en ligne, dictionnaire.lerobert.com (accessed 2024)
  8. ^ Dictionnaire de français Larousse, larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais (accessed 2024)

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Important.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/important. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·