| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| paramount (adj.) |
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| means “superior to all others, supreme, or chief,” as in Winning the election was her paramount goal. It is sometimes considered an absolute adjective, but hyperbole seems not to accept that limitation; hence very or pretty paramount, meaning “really important,” can sometimes be Standard too, although mainly in Conversational and Informal contexts. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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