paramount
adjective /ˈpærəmaʊnt/
/ˈpærəmaʊnt/
- more important than anything else
- This matter is of paramount importance.
- Safety is paramount.
- The welfare of the child must always be the court’s paramount consideration.
Language Bank vitalvitalSaying that something is necessary- It is vital that journalists can verify the accuracy of their reports.
- Journalists play a vital/crucial role in educating the public.
- Public trust is a crucial issue for all news organizations.
- The ability to write well is essential for any journalist.
- The internet has become an indispensable tool for reporters.
- In journalism, accuracy is paramount/…is of paramount importance.
- It is imperative that journalists maintain the highest possible standards of reporting.
- (formal) having the highest position or the greatest power
- China’s paramount leader
Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘highest in jurisdiction’ in the phrases lord paramount and paramount chief): from Anglo-Norman French paramont, from Old French par ‘by’ + amont ‘above’.