Paramounts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Being of supreme importance, significance, or rank in a hierarchy of values or priorities
2. Denoting something that is more important than any other matter being considered
3. Serving as the highest authority or precedence in a particular context or situation

Etymology: "Paramounts" is simply the plural of "paramount," used here as a noun for things or people that hold supreme rank or importance. The noun is the same word as the adjective, so the plural form inherits the whole history of the base term. That history is a striking piece of French grammar frozen in English. "Paramount" comes from Anglo-Norman "paramont," meaning pre-eminent or above, built from Old French "par," "by," and "amont," "upward." Those two pieces trace back to Latin "per," "through," and to "ad montem," "to the mountain." In other words, the word began as a phrase describing movement up a hill, and the sense of being above others grew naturally from that picture of height.

Synonyms: chiefs, leaders, rulers

Antonyms: subordinates, inferiors