very most important

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "very most important" is not considered to be correct and usable in written English.
You would usually use the phrase "most important" instead. For example: "Of all the tasks I must complete today, this one is the most important."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

In fact, I'm thinking more and more that this feeding into appreciation and therefore into values might actually be among the very most important outcomes of scientific research on organisms in nature.

Cornell University

"The connection between our management faculty and the economics faculty has long been one of the very most important points of connection and this project's closure enables the strengthened reconnection of management and economics here at MIT," said MIT Sloan Dean David Schmittlein.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

You might recall what I said was pretty much the very most important thing that we're going to tell you in this course is that when you think about a language, you think about it in terms of what are the primitives; what are the means of combination right, what are the things that allow you to build bigger things; and then what are the means of abstraction.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"It's fair to say it's up there with the very most important of them all," author Rob Hadgraft said of Saturday's tie.

BBC

Today's faculty is continuing to push the envelope just as Coase, Posner, and Becker did a generation ago by producing knowledge and scholarship on the very most important topics facing our nation and the world.

University of Chicago

They understand that no matter what, they are the very most important thing to us.

HuffPost

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

A Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll released this week found half of American voters say a candidate's support for Medicare for all is very or most important in choosing who to vote for this fall.

The Washington Post

Nevertheless, our measurements show that dynamic augmentation is capable of supporting an ACL repair during the initial and very likely most important phase of biological healing.

Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics

… At that time, I couldn't go to Sing K [a kind of singing party], he [her son] was too young, his study was very important the most important thing in our family.

The Journal of Chinese Sociology

Table 1 shows patients' experiences with the conduct of the complaints committee compared with the issues that patients considered to be very or most important at the start of the complaints process.

BMC Health Services Research

All that is very, very important but the most important thing with a huge difference is this commitment, this passion, the whole team.

Harvard Business Review

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for emphasis, consider using synonyms like "crucial", "vital", or "essential" paired with appropriate intensifiers for a stronger impact without compromising grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid stacking intensifiers such as "very" with superlatives like "most". This construction is often considered redundant and can weaken your writing. Instead, rely on strong vocabulary and concise phrasing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as an intensified superlative adjective, attempting to denote the highest degree of importance. However, according to Ludwig AI, it is not grammatically sound and should be replaced by "most important".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

32%

Academia

25%

Science

25%

Less common in

Wiki

11%

Formal & Business

4%

Social Media

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "very most important" appears across various sources, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using the phrase "most important" instead, which is both grammatically sound and widely accepted. Although the intention is to emphasize significance, the phrase's non-standard construction affects its suitability for formal contexts. It is more frequently seen in news, academic, and scientific domains. For clearer and more effective communication, sticking to "most important" or exploring other emphatic alternatives is recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

most important

Omits the intensifier "very", resulting in a grammatically standard and widely accepted form.

absolutely crucial

Replaces "important" with "crucial" and uses "absolutely" as an intensifier, offering a more emphatic alternative.

critically significant

Emphasizes the importance through "significant" and intensifies it with "critically", suitable for formal contexts.

paramount importance

Uses a noun phrase to highlight the supreme importance of something.

of utmost importance

Replaces "very most" with "utmost" to express the highest degree of importance in a grammatically correct manner.

supremely vital

Combines "vital" to indicate necessity with "supremely" for emphasis, denoting something essential.

foremost

Indicates the highest rank or position in a set of priorities.

chief priority

Highlights that something is the main priority.

fundamentally essential

Uses "essential" to denote something necessary and "fundamentally" to reinforce its basic importance.

singularly important

Emphasizes importance with "singularly", highlighting that this single thing is particularly important above all others.

FAQs

Is "very most important" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "very most important" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The standard and accepted form is "most important".

What's a better alternative to "very most important"?

A more appropriate alternative is "most important". Other options include "absolutely crucial" or "of utmost importance" depending on the specific context.

Can I use "very most important" in formal writing?

It's best to avoid using "very most important" in formal writing. Opt for "most important" or other similar phrases to maintain a professional tone.

How can I emphasize importance without using "very most important"?

You can emphasize importance by using strong adjectives like "crucial", "vital", or "essential", or by using phrases like "of utmost importance" or "critically significant".