# unimportant

/ənɪmˈpɔɹtənt/ (US) · /ˌʌnɪmpˈɔːtənt/ (UK) · CEFR A2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unimportant
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

not having a lot of value or meaning. You use this to describe things that do not matter much.

For teachers: lacking significance, value, or influence. Often used to describe details or tasks that do not affect the final outcome of a situation.

## Examples

- The color of the box is unimportant.
- She decided to skip the meeting because the topics being discussed were unimportant to her current project.
- While the technical specifications are vital, the aesthetic design of the internal components remains largely unimportant to the average consumer who never opens the device.

## Pitfalls

- Not "an imimportant detail" but "an unimportant detail" — Learners sometimes use the prefix 'im-' (as in 'impossible') instead of the correct negative prefix 'un-'.

## Usage notes

- Typically used both attributively before a noun and predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'seem', or 'feel'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.