Unimportant describes something that doesn't matter much or won't make a real difference. When your teacher says the color of your folder is unimportant, she means it won't affect your grade or your learning, so pick whatever color you like. When a coach tells players that yesterday's loss is unimportant now, he means they should focus on today's practice instead of dwelling on the past.

The word helps us sort what deserves our attention from what doesn't. A typo in your rough draft might be unimportant since you'll fix it later, but the same mistake in your final paper matters more. Whether your friend wears sneakers or sandals to the park is unimportant, but whether they show up on time might be.

People sometimes dismiss others' concerns by calling them unimportant, which can hurt feelings. What seems unimportant to you might matter greatly to someone else. Your little sister's drawing might seem unimportant to you, but to her it represents hours of careful work.

The opposite is important, significant, or crucial. Learning to recognize what's truly unimportant helps you save your energy for things that actually matter.