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PlainSpell

import

/ˈɪm.pɔɹt/noun, verb

import is spelled I-M-P-O-R-T: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, import means “Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of import is imports.

How many letters and syllables are in import?

Letters6: I-M-P-O-R-T
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing13 times per million words; the 6,047th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is import?

Import appears 13 times per million words in written English, the 6,047th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce import?

  • UK /ˈɪm.pɔːt/
  • US /ˈɪm.pɔɹt/
  • /ˈɪm.po(ː)ɹt/

As a verb (“To bring (something) in from a foreign country, especially…”): /ɪmˈpɔːt/, /ɪmˈpɔɹt/, /ˈɪm.pɔɹt/.

Import has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-import_(noun).wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-import_(verb).wav, En-us-import.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of import

  • imports plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • importing participle, present
  • imported participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does import mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade.

  2. 2

    The practice of importing.

  3. 3

    A foreigner playing in a sports league.

  4. 4

    datedThe meaning of a term, statement, etc.

  5. 5

    Significance, importance

    It was a matter of great import.

verb

  1. 1

    To bring (something) in from a foreign country, especially for sale or trade.

    Nauru imports foods from Australia because phosphate mining destroyed land for farming.

  2. 2

    To load a file into a software application from another version or system.

    How can I import files from older versions of this application?

  3. 3

    To be important; to be significant; to be of consequence.

  4. 4

    To be of importance to (someone or something).

  5. 5

    To be incumbent on (someone to do something).

  6. 6

    To be important or crucial to (that something happen).

  7. 7

    To mean, signify.

  8. 8

    archaicTo express, to imply.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

How do you abbreviate import?

Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of import: Imp., imp..

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Import in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanImportware, Importgut (something brought in from a foreign country), Import, Einfuhr (practice of importing), importieren, einführen (to bring in from a foreign country)
Portugueseimportados (something brought in from a foreign country), importação (practice of importing), importar (to bring in from a foreign country), importância, significância (significance, importance)
Spanishimportación (something brought in from a foreign country), importar (to bring in from a foreign country), importancia, significado (significance, importance)
Frenchimportation (practice of importing), importer (to bring in from a foreign country), compter (to be important)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does import come from?

From Middle English importen, from Old French emporter, importer, from Latin importō (“bring in from abroad, import”, verb), from in (“in, at, on; into”) + portō (“to carry, bear; convey”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after import