adj
paramount
PA-ruh-mownt
adj
1
Supreme in importance, rank, or authority; overriding everything else.
"Safety is paramount when working with heavy machinery."
"The judge ruled that the child's welfare was of paramount concern."
noun
1
A supreme ruler or chief, especially one with the highest authority in a region.
"The paramount met with tribal elders to settle the dispute."
How to Use Paramount
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMore important than anything else — the top priority, no exceptions.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with the film studio Paramount, which took its name from this word's "supreme, towering" sense.
Common pairings
of paramount importance
paramount concern
paramount authority
Word Forms
paramounts plural
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Etymology
From Anglo-Norman paramount, literally "above" — from Old French par ("by, through") + amont ("upward, toward the mountain"). The sense of "supreme" grew naturally out of "above everything else."