English → Latin
“important” in Latin
gravisheavy; pregnant; troublesome, hardpossumbe able to, can, may; in the 3rd person singular (pote est): it may be, it is possible; to have influence or efficacy, tpolleōto be strong or powerful; to prevail; to be potent, to operate (of medicines); to be worth; to have importanceauctōritāscredibility, prestige, reputation, importance; influence, weight, personal weight; power, ability, authorityopsstrength, power, power to help, property; resources, wealth, riches; assistance, help, aid, support
The English word important itself goes back to Latin portō, through importāns.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
important
(a) (a) Of persons, gravis (from weight of character, and consequent authority, influence, etc.: also of witnesses, testes): potens: pollens: qui multum potest (powerful). An important person, vir magnus, gravis, or auctoritate gravis, auctoritate or dignitate praeditus, opibus or gratia florens (influential). To think himself an important personage, sese aliquem or aliquid esse credere. (b) Of things, gravis (opposed to levis, trifling, unimportant): magni or maximi momenti (having important consequences): magnus: gravis: luculentus (great, considerable). In comparative and superlative also by antiquior, antiquissimus (what should from its importance, be taken earlier or first into consideration; e.g., he considered this more important, id ei antiquius fuit; the most important point or object, antiquissima cura). An important city, urbs magna, opulenta, florens: an important state, civitas ampla et florens or gravis et opulenta (opposed to civitas exigua et infirma): to play an important part, gravem personam sustinere. The most important point is, hoc caput est; hoc maximum or primum est. For other phrases, Vid: IMPORTANCE (“of great importance,” etc.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for important?
- The usual Latin words for “important” are gravis, possum, polleō; also auctōritās, ops. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.