commodities (goods or services) bought from a foreign country
"The shipping company warned that our import of electronics would be delayed due to customs inspections."
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
"what is the meaning of this sentence"
"the significance of a red traffic light"
"the signification of Chinese characters"
"the import of his announcement was ambiguous"
a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
"the significance of his remark became clear only later"
"the expectation was spread both by word and by implication"
having important effects or influence
"decisions of great consequence are made by the president himself"
"virtue is of more moment than security"
"that result is of no consequence"
Something brought in from an exterior source, especially for sale or trade.
"Our store sells many imported cheeses that are shipped directly from France each week."
In plain English: An import is something that comes from another country to be used here.
"The import of his speech was that we must act now."
Usage: As a noun, an import refers to a product or service brought into a country from abroad for commercial purposes. Use this term when discussing goods that originate outside your local market rather than items produced domestically.
bring in from abroad
"The company decided to import all its raw materials directly from Japan to ensure higher quality standards."
transfer (electronic data) into a database or document
"After cleaning the CSV file, I imported the customer records directly into our sales database to update the inventory system."
To bring (something) in from a foreign country, especially for sale or trade.
"The import of his discovery changed how we understand climate patterns."
To be important; to be significant; to be of consequence.
In plain English: To import something means to bring it into your country from another place.
"The country imports almost all of its oil from abroad."
Usage: Do not use the verb "import" to mean that something is important or significant; instead, use words like "matter," "count," or "be significant." The correct everyday meaning of "import" as a verb is to bring goods from another country into one's own.
The word "import" comes from the Latin phrase importare, which literally means "to bring in." It entered English through Middle English and Old French with this original sense of carrying something from abroad.