different between importance vs avail

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French importance, from Medieval Latin importantia.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m?p??t?ns/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m?p??t?ns/, [-?n?s]

Noun

importance (countable and uncountable, plural importances)

1. The quality or condition of being important or worthy of note.
2. significance or prominence.
3. personal status or standing.
4. Something of importance.

Translations

French

Etymology

From Medieval Latin importantia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.p??.t??s/
• Rhymes: -??s

Noun

importance f (plural importances)

1. importance
2. significance

Related terms

• important

Further reading

• “importance” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• comprenait

English

Etymology

From Middle English availen (“to be of use”), from Old French a (“to”) + vail (from valoir (“to be worth”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??ve?l/
• Rhymes: -e?l

Verb

avail (third-person singular simple present avails, present participle availing, simple past and past participle availed)

1. (transitive, often reflexive) To turn to the advantage of.

2. (transitive) To be of service to.

3. (transitive) To promote; to assist.

4. (intransitive) To be of use or advantage; to answer or serve the purpose; to have strength, force, or efficacy sufficient to accomplish the object.
5. (India, Africa, elsewhere proscribed) To provide; to make available.

Antonyms

• disavail

Derived terms

• available
• disavail

Related terms

Translations

Noun

avail (plural avails)

1. Effect in achieving a goal or aim; purpose, use (now usually in negative constructions). [from 15^thc.]
   • Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

   • 2014, Paul Doyle, "Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian, 18 October:

     At half-time, Poyet replaced Wes Brown with Liam Bridcutt in the heart of defence and sent out the rest of the players to atone for their first-half mistakes. To no avail.

2. (now only US) Proceeds; profits from business transactions. [from 15^thc.]
   • 1862, Elijah Porter Barrows, The State And Slavery

     the avails of their own industry

3. (television, advertising) An advertising slot or package.
4. (US, politics, journalism) A press avail.

5. (Britain, acting) Non-binding notice of availability for work.
6. (oil industry) A readily available stock of oil.
7. (obsolete) Benefit; value, profit; advantage toward success. [15^th-19^thc.]
8. (obsolete, poetic) Effort; striving.

Usage notes

• (success or benefit): Very often encountered in negative phrases, such as of or to no or little avail.

Translations

Anagrams

• Alavi, Alvia, Avila