Pronunciations (5)
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/ˈpæɹəmaʊnt/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ˈpæɹəˌmaʊnt/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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/ˈpɛɹəˌmaʊnt/
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ˈpæɹəmaʊnt
Pronunciation notes
- GB
-
ˈpæɹəˌmaʊnt
Pronunciation notes
- US
Adjective
Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.
Usage- not-comparable
- often
- postpositional
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Examples
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[…]a Traitor Paramount;
More examples (2)
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.
The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. […] The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared.
Of the highest importance.
Usage- not-comparable
- Synonyms
- Examples
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Getting those credit cards paid off is paramount.
Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another.
Usage- not-comparable
- Obsolete
Noun
A chief or superior; (specifically, chiefly South Africa) an African chief having the highest status in a region; a paramount chief.
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.
Usage- Obsolete
Adjective
having superior power and influence
- Examples
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the predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism