principally important

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "principally important" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize the primary significance of something in a particular context. Example: "The findings of this research are principally important for understanding climate change impacts on agriculture."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The production of chemical compounds is principally important for soft bodied ascidian species, which use secondary metabolites to deter predatory fishes, to compete for space, to control settlement and growth of microbial fauna and other fouling organisms.

Natural Products and Bioprospecting

Although genetic tools are principally important to fully investigate malaria parasites, currently available forward and reverse tools are fairly limited.

DNA Research

Histone PTM epitypes may represent the effect of other epigenetic and genetic controls and may be principally important to somatic inheritance of epigenetic controls.

Epigenetics and Chromatin

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

NPPV use resulted in efficient gas exchange, a tendency to decrease intensive care unit and hospital stays, and principally an important reduction in the incidence of pneumonia as well as in the need for tracheotomy.

Critical Care

NPPV use resulted in efficient gas exchange, a tendency to decrease ICU and hospital stays, and principally an important reduction in the incidence of pneumonia as well as in the need for tracheotomy when compared with conventional IMV weaning.

Critical Care

Although no longer endemic in Canada, malaria has remained an important imported disease, principally in immigrants and travelers (1– 3).

Emerging Infectious Diseases

They make up the prakriti but are further important principally as physiopsychological factors.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"The Chinese side says principally it is important, but practically it takes time and money," said Sultan Baheen, the Afghan ambassador to China.

The New York Times

Yet as the Arctic ice cap melts, it is revealing riches — principally minerals, including important rare earths, but also water, oil and gas.

The New York Times

This kind of research is not principally driven by important scientific questions but is focused on professionalism and accuracy above all else.

Science Magazine

Today, machines are important principally for historical reasons, and because many of the institutions of contemporary city government were originally designed as ways of undermining the power of the machines.

International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "principally important" to emphasize the primary or main importance of something, especially when other factors may also be significant but less so.

Common error

Avoid using "principally important" in casual or informal writing. Opt for simpler alternatives like "most important" or "key" for a more natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "principally important" functions as a compound adjective, modifying a noun to indicate its primary significance. As Ludwig AI highlights, this emphasizes that something holds major importance, especially when other factors are present but less critical.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

29%

Encyclopedias

23%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "principally important" serves to highlight the primary significance of something. While grammatically correct and usable, as Ludwig AI confirms, it is relatively rare and most suited for formal or scientific contexts. When aiming for less formal communication, consider more common alternatives like "primarily significant" or "most important". The phrase is frequently used in scientific writing and news, where there is a need to emphasize main points.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

primarily significant

Replaces "principally" with "primarily" and "important" with "significant", maintaining the core meaning of main importance.

chiefly significant

Substitutes "principally" with "chiefly" and "important" with "significant", emphasizing the leading significance.

mainly significant

Uses "mainly" instead of "principally" and "significant" instead of "important", highlighting the primary level of importance.

essentially significant

Replaces "principally" with "essentially" and "important" with "significant", indicating the fundamental significance.

fundamentally important

Replaces "principally" with "fundamentally", emphasizing the basic importance.

largely important

Uses "largely" instead of "principally", indicating a considerable degree of importance.

predominantly important

Substitutes "principally" with "predominantly", suggesting a prevailing importance.

particularly important

Replaces "principally" with "particularly", highlighting a specific aspect of importance.

most important

Uses "most" instead of "principally", suggesting the highest level of importance above all other consideration.

critically important

Highlights the critical nature of the importance, suggesting something is vital or crucial.

FAQs

What does "principally important" mean?

The phrase "principally important" means mainly or primarily important. It emphasizes that something is significant above other things, even if other factors also matter.

What can I say instead of "principally important"?

You can use alternatives like "primarily significant", "chiefly significant", or "mainly significant" depending on the context.

When should I use "principally important" in my writing?

Use "principally important" when you want to highlight that something is the main factor, even if there are other factors involved. It adds a layer of emphasis that is more formal.

Is "principally important" the same as "most important"?

While similar, "principally important" suggests something is the main factor among others, whereas "most important" implies it surpasses all others in significance. "Principally important" emphasizes the primary nature, while "most important" indicates the highest degree of importance.