confer importance

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "confer importance" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase in written English.
It means to give or grant significance or importance to something. You can use this phrase when talking about the impact or significance of something, or when discussing the perceived value or importance of something. For example: - The ceremony was held to confer importance upon the new building, highlighting its cultural and architectural significance. - The expert's opinion was highly valued and was seen as conferring importance to the issue at hand. - The study aimed to confer importance to the often overlooked issue of mental health in the workplace.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

iPads are so common now, despite their price, that they no longer confer importance or prestige; they're about as glamorous as bluetooth headsets.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

But that is not, these days, what confers importance.

The Guardian - Sport

It's hard to overestimate the influence that these modest, slice-of-life scenes would have on subsequent generations of photographers, or Szarkowski's curatorial vision in conferring importance on the work of these artists.

The New Yorker

I like the idea that portraiture confers importance on its subjects, and in photographing people who do not fit into mainstream, or what are generally considered culturally valuable representations of bodies, genders, and sexualities, I'm suggesting that we are important.

Vice

In many countries research evaluations confer high importance to mainstream journals, which are considered to publish excellent research.

Research Policy

But over the past century, as these duties increasingly fell to individuals with little or no training, doctors and even some nurses began to confer less importance, and status, to the work of caregiving.

The New York Times - Health

Many of these caregiving tasks were once the purview of doctors and nurses, a central component of the "caring professions". But over the past century, as these duties increasingly fell to individuals with little or no training, doctors and even some nurses began to confer less importance, and status, to the work of caregiving.

The New York Times - Health

However, considering that our instruments are all ordinal multi-category scales, kappa can be weighted to confer greater importance to large differences than small differences between ratings.

BMC Cancer

The presence of a microbial agent within a tick, however, does not imply that the tick might transmit it during the course of blood feeding and does not confer epidemiologic importance.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

However, this fails to capture the intuition that winning against more lawyers confers more importance (for example, 2 lawyers winning against 10 lawyers should confer them more prestige than winning against just 1 lawyer).

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

That, in turn, confers great importance on the negotiations between the United States and Latin America regarding the extension of free trade status to the rest of the hemisphere.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "confer importance", ensure that the subject receiving the importance is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For instance, clarify what exactly gains significance from a particular action or attribute.

Common error

Avoid using "confer importance" in sentences where the actor conferring the importance is unclear or missing. Always specify who or what is doing the conferring to maintain clarity and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "confer importance" functions as a verb phrase followed by a noun, indicating the action of bestowing or granting significance to something. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Academia

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "confer importance" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression that signifies the act of bestowing or granting significance. Analysis of various sources reveals that it is commonly found in formal writing, academic discussions, news reports, and scientific publications. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While synonyms like "assign importance" or "bestow significance" exist, the choice depends on the specific context. When using this phrase, ensure clarity in specifying the subject receiving the conferred importance and the actor conferring it.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Assign importance

Focuses on the act of assigning importance, making it a more direct synonym.

Bestow significance

Emphasizes the act of granting significance, similar to conferring.

Impart importance

Highlights the act of giving or transmitting importance.

Attribute significance

Focuses on ascribing significance to something.

Lend weight

Suggests adding importance or credibility.

Give prominence

Highlights the act of making something stand out as important.

Elevate status

Implies raising the importance or standing of something.

Ascribe value

Focuses on assigning value, which implies importance.

Invest with meaning

Suggests adding meaning, which in turn adds importance.

Attach significance

Emphasizes the act of connecting significance to something.

FAQs

How can I use "confer importance" in a sentence?

You can use "confer importance" to describe the act of giving significance to something. For example, "The award ceremony was intended to confer importance on the volunteers' efforts."

What is a synonym for "confer importance"?

Alternatives to "confer importance" include "assign importance", "bestow significance", or "impart importance".

Is it better to use "confer importance" or "give importance"?

"Confer importance" often suggests a more formal or official granting of significance, while "give importance" is more general. The best choice depends on the context.

What's the difference between "confer importance" and "attribute significance"?

"Confer importance" implies actively bestowing significance, whereas "attribute significance" suggests recognizing or assigning existing significance. The subtle difference lies in the action versus recognition of importance.