die Wichtigkeit, -en
importance
Wie sehr etwas zählt oder gebraucht wird.
Definition & meaning
Wichtigkeit is a feminine German noun meaning importance, significance, or relevance. It describes how important something is, or how much attention, influence, or priority it deserves.
Examples:
- Die Wichtigkeit dieser Entscheidung ist offensichtlich. — The importance of this decision is obvious.
- Er unterschätzt die Wichtigkeit regelmäßiger Pausen. — He underestimates the importance of regular breaks.
Depending on the context, Wichtigkeit can refer to:
- General importance or significance
How meaningful or influential something is. - Priority or urgency
How much something needs to be dealt with or considered first.
The word can sometimes sound slightly formal. In everyday German, Bedeutung is often used instead.
Grammar & Word origin
- Gender: feminine
- Article: die
- Plural: die Wichtigkeiten , rarely used
- Adjective: wichtig — important
- Related adverb: wirklich is not directly related; wichtig means “important,” while wirklich means “really” or “actual”
The word consists of:
- wichtig — important
- -keit — a suffix that forms feminine abstract nouns expressing a quality or state
Thus, Wichtigkeit literally refers to the quality or state of being important.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- Bedeutung — meaning, significance, or importance; more common and versatile than Wichtigkeit
- Bedeutsamkeit — significance; more formal and often emphasizes a profound or lasting impact
- Relevanz — relevance; focuses on how directly something relates to a particular matter
- Stellenwert — importance, status, or value within a specific context
- Priorität — priority; emphasizes the order in which something should be dealt with rather than its general importance
Antonyms
- Unwichtigkeit — unimportance; the direct opposite of Wichtigkeit
- Bedeutungslosigkeit — meaninglessness or insignificance; stronger and often more dismissive
- Nichtigkeit — triviality or worthlessness; often suggests that something has little or no value
Common phrases & collocations
- die Wichtigkeit von etwas betonen — to emphasize the importance of something
- die Wichtigkeit erkennen — to recognize the importance
- die Wichtigkeit unterschätzen — to underestimate the importance
- von großer Wichtigkeit sein — to be of great importance
- von besonderer Wichtigkeit sein — to be of particular importance
- die relative Wichtigkeit — the relative importance
- die Wichtigkeit einer Angelegenheit — the importance of a matter
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Examples
Die Wichtigkeit dieser Angelegenheit sollte nicht unterschätzt werden.noun
The importance of this matter should not be underestimated.
Er erklärte die Wichtigkeit klar und geduldig.noun
He explained the importance clearly and patiently.
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