importante

Importante is an adjective used in several Romance languages, most notably Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. It denotes something of significance, value, or priority and can describe persons, objects, events, or ideas that matter or deserve attention. In English, a near-equivalent term is important. The word also appears in discussions of relevance or urgency.

Etymology and related forms: Importante derives from Latin importans, the present participle of importare, meaning to bring in or carry in. In the modern Romance languages, the sense of bearing significance evolved into the broad use of the term to label importance or consequence. Related noun forms include importancia in Spanish, importância in Portuguese, and importanza in Italian.

Usage and examples: In Spanish, one says “Es un tema importante” or “Es importante que participes.” In Portuguese, “É um assunto importante” or “É importante fazer isso.” In Italian, “È un tema importante” or “È importante studiare.” The word can modify nouns directly or be used predicatively, as in statements about significance, relevance, or urgency.

Grammatical notes: In Spanish and Portuguese, importante is invariable for gender (the plural form is importantes). In Italian, it similarly uses -ante/-anti endings with gendered consistency in context (plural erano temi importanti). The term is often contrasted with synonyms such as relevante, significativo, or fondamentale, depending on degree and nuance.

See also: importancia, importância, importanza.