Paramount means more important than anything else. When something is paramount, it must be given the highest priority.
From Anglo-French 'paramont', from 'par' meaning 'by' and 'amont' meaning 'upward' or 'above'. It originally described something that was 'higher' in rank or authority.
The word 'paramount' is literally about being 'higher up', like a mountain peak towering over hills. We still talk about importance using height—top priority, high value, low status—without even noticing the metaphor.
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