paramount

Pronunciation: /ˈpæɹəmaʊnt/

The English word “paramount” has 5 meanings listed here.

adjective

Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.
Of the highest importance.
Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another.

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.

Etymology

PIE word *h₂éd From Anglo-Norman paramont /paramount (“paramount, pre-eminent; above”), from Old French par /per (“by”) + amont /amunt (“upward”). Par is derived from Latin per (“by means of, through”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through; to carry forth, fare”); amont and amunt are from Latin ad montem (“to the mountain; upward”), from ad (“up to”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European…

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