paramount /ˈpæɹəmaʊnt/adjective 3noun 2forms 1 adjective3 •[after a noun] Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.Hitherto she had chiefly dwelt on her unkindness and neglect; but absence, like charity, covers a multitude of sins; and the thought now paramount was, that she should see her no more. — 1834 •Of the highest importance.Getting those credit cards paid off is paramount. •(no longer used) Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another. noun2 •A chief or superior; (specifically, chiefly South Africa) an African chief having the highest status in a region; a paramount chief. •(no longer used) A supreme ruler; an overlord; (specifically, historical) in the feudal system, a landowner who did not derive ownership of the land from anyone else, and who was able to grant fees to others; a lord paramount. formsparamounts
