Phrase guide

above all

adv · prep_phrase · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Of prime importance; before anything else; especially.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: first and foremost

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

above and beyond all other consideration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • above all, you must be independent

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: most importantly, most especially

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

taking everything together

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was first and last a scientist

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: first and last

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?]. Compare Dutch bovenal (“above all”).

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: veral — of prime importance
  • Afrikaans: hoofsaaklik — of prime importance
  • Bulgarian: пре́ди вси́чко (prédi vsíčko) — of prime importance
  • Catalan: sobretot — of prime importance
  • Chinese Mandarin: 首先 (shǒuxiān) — of prime importance
  • Czech: především — of prime importance
  • Danish: først og fremst — of prime importance
  • Danish: fremfor alt — of prime importance
  • Dutch: bovenal — of prime importance
  • Dutch: vooral — of prime importance
  • Dutch: voornamelijk — of prime importance
  • Esperanto: precipe — of prime importance
  • Esperanto: antaŭ ĉio — of prime importance
  • Finnish: ylipäätänsä — of prime importance
  • Finnish: ennen kaikkea — of prime importance
  • French: surtout — of prime importance
  • French: par-dessus tout — of prime importance
  • French: avant tout — of prime importance
  • Georgian: უპირველეს ყოვლისა (uṗirveles q̇ovlisa) — of prime importance
  • German: vor allem — of prime importance
  • German: hauptsächlich — of prime importance
  • German: vor allem anderen — of prime importance
  • Gothic: 𐌸𐌹𐍃𐌷𐌿𐌽 (þishun) — of prime importance
  • Greek: προπαντός (propantós) — of prime importance
  • Ancient Greek: μάλιστα (málista) — of prime importance
  • Hebrew: קודם כל (qódem kol) — of prime importance
  • Hungarian: mindenekelőtt — of prime importance
  • Hungarian: elsősorban — of prime importance
  • Hungarian: legfőképp — of prime importance
  • Hungarian: legfőképpen — of prime importance
  • Ido: precipue — of prime importance
  • Interlingua: super toto — of prime importance
  • Italian: soprattutto — of prime importance
  • Italian: anzitutto — of prime importance
  • Japanese: 何よりも (nani yori mo) — of prime importance
  • Korean: 무엇보다 먼저 (mueotboda meonjeo) — of prime importance
  • Maltese: fuq kollox — of prime importance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: først og fremst — of prime importance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fremfor alt — of prime importance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: framfor alt — of prime importance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: først og fremst — of prime importance
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: framfor alt — of prime importance
  • Polish: przede wszystkim — of prime importance
  • Portuguese: sobretudo — of prime importance
  • Portuguese: acima de tudo — of prime importance
  • Russian: пре́жде всего́ (préžde vsevó) — of prime importance
  • Russian: осо́бенно (osóbenno) — of prime importance
  • Serbo-Croatian: пре свeгa — of prime importance
  • Serbo-Croatian: pre svega — of prime importance
  • Spanish: sobre todo — of prime importance
  • Spanish: ante todo — of prime importance
  • Spanish: más que nada — of prime importance
  • Spanish: por encima de todo — of prime importance
  • Spanish: máxime — of prime importance
  • Swedish: framförallt — of prime importance
  • Swedish: främst — of prime importance
  • Thai: สิ่งสําคัญที่สุด (sìng săm-kan têe sùt) — of prime importance
  • Thai: เหนือสิ่งอื่นใด (nĕua sìng èun dai) — of prime importance
  • Ukrainian: передусі́м (peredusím) — of prime importance
  • Ukrainian: передовсі́м (peredovsím) — of prime importance
  • Ukrainian: перш за все (perš za vse) — of prime importance