different between paramount vs surmount

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman paramont, paramount (“paramount, pre-eminent; above”), from Old French par, per (“by”) + amont, amunt (“upward”). Par is derived from Latin per (“by means of, through”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to go through; to carry forth, fare”); amont and amunt are from Latin ad montem (“to the mountain; upward”), from ad (“up to”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h?éd (“at; to”)) + montem (the accusative singular of m?ns (“mount, mountain”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to stand out, tower”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?pæ??ma?nt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?pæ???ma?nt/, /?p?-/
• Hyphenation: par?a?mount

Adjective

paramount (not comparable)

1. (often postpositive) Highest, supreme; also, chief, leading, pre-eminent.

   Synonym: utmost

   Antonym: paravail
2. Of the highest importance.

   Synonyms: crucial, imperative; see also Thesaurus:important

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:insignificant

3. (obsolete) Of a law, right, etc.: having precedence over or superior to another.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:superior

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

paramount (plural paramounts)

1. A chief or superior; (specifically, chiefly South Africa) an African chief having the highest status in a region; a paramount chief.
2. (obsolete) A supreme ruler; an overlord; (specifically, historical) in the feudal system, a landowner who did not derive ownership of the land from anyone else, and who was able to grant fees to others; a lord paramount.

Translations

References

Further reading

• paramount (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• paramount in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• paramount in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• paramount at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Old French surmonter (“to rise above, surmount”), from sur- (“above”) + monter (“to mount”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /s??ma?nt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /s??ma?nt/

Verb

surmount (third-person singular simple present surmounts, present participle surmounting, simple past and past participle surmounted)

1. (transitive) To get over; to overcome.
   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 10.

     this difficulty may perhaps be surmounted by care and art

2. (transitive) To cap; to sit on top off.

Related terms

• surmountable
• insurmountable

Translations

Further reading

• surmount in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• surmount in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• surmount at OneLook Dictionary Search