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Origin and history of important

important(adj.)

mid-15c., "significant, of much import, bearing weight or consequence," from Medieval Latin importantem (nominative importans) "important, momentous," present-participle adjective from importare "be significant in," from Latin importare "bring in, convey, bring in from abroad," from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (from PIE root *en "in") + portare "to carry," from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over." The meaning "pretentious, pompous" is from 1713. Related: Importantly. Compare import (v.) and (n.).

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to important

import(v.)

early 15c., importen, "signify, show, bear or convey in meaning," from Latin importare "bring in, convey, bring in from abroad," from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (from PIE root *en "in") + portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over"O.

In English, the sense of "bring from another state or land," especially "bring in goods from abroad" is recorded by 1540s. As "be important" from 1580s. Related: Imported; importing.

importance(n.)

"the quality of having consequence," c. 1500, from French importance or directly from Medieval Latin importantia "importance," from importantem "important" (see important).

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Trends of important

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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port
"a bay, cove, inlet, or recess of a large body of water where vessels can load and unload and find shelter from storms; a harbor, whether natural or artificial," Old English port "a port, harbor, a place where there is a constant resort of vessels for the purpose of loading and u
crucial
1706, "cross-shaped, having the form of an X," from French crucial, a medical term for ligaments of the interior of the knee-joint (which cross each other), from Latin crux (genitive crucis) "cross" (see crux). The meaning "decisive, critical, finally disproving one of two altern
authoritative
c. 1600, "dictatorial" (a sense now restricted to authoritarian), earlier auctoritative (implied in auctoritativeli "with official approval or sanction"), from Medieval Latin auctoritativus, from Latin auctoritatem (see authority). The meaning "having due authority, entitled to c
mugwump
a jocular word for "great man, boss, important person," 1832, American English (originally New England), from Algonquian...(Natick) mugquomp "important person" (derived from mugumquomp "war leader")....By 1840 it was in satirical use as "one who thinks himself important."...
principal
c. 1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, largest, greatest, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal..."main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.) and directly from Latin principalis "first in importance...
tycoon
(said to have been used by his supporters when addressing foreigners, as an attempt to convey that the shogun was more important...Transferred meaning "important person" is attested from 1861, in reference to U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (in the diary...
grave
"terrible, dreadful," 14c.), from Latin gravis, "heavy, ponderous, burdensome, loaded; pregnant;" of matters, "weighty, important...In English, the sense "solemn, sober" is from 1580s; of immaterial things, "important, serious" 1590s....
significant
1570s, "having or conveying a meaning," from Latin significantem (nominative significans), present participle of significare "make known, indicate" (see signify). Earlier in the same sense was significative; also significate (adj.) "indicated, signified"(early 15c.). From 1590s a
prosperous
early 15c., "favorable, auspicious, tending to bring success;" late 15c., "flourishing, successful, making good progress in anything good or desirable;" from Anglo-French prosperous, prospereus, Anglo-Latin prosperosus, or directly from Old French prospereus (15c.), from prospere
addiction
c. 1600, "tendency, inclination, penchant" (a less severe sense now obsolete); 1640s as "state of being (self)-addicted" to a habit, pursuit, etc., from Latin addictionem (nominative addictio) "an awarding, a delivering up," noun of action from past-participle stem of addicere "t

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