| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | main, essential |
| Synonyms: | basic, cardinal, central, chief, controlling, dominant, first, foremost, fundamental, important, leading, major, number one, outstanding, overruling, paramount, predominant, preeminent, primary, prime, principal, prominent, underlying, vital |
| Notes: | the word capitol is from the Roman Capitoline Hill and the similarity between capitol and capital is purely coincidental; capitol applies to the building and capital to the seat of a government |
| Antonyms: | extra, minor, nonessential, secondary, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | cardinal |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | important, key |
| Synonyms: | basal, basic, central, chief, constitutive, essential, first, foremost, fundamental, greatest, highest, indispensable, leading, main, overriding, overruling, paramount, pivotal, preeminent, primary, prime, principal, ruling, vital |
| Antonyms: | inessential, insignificant, minor, negligible, secondary, unimportant |
| Main Entry: | champion |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | best, excellent |
| Synonyms: | blue-ribbon, boss*, capital, chief, choice, cool, dandy, distinguished, first, greatest, head, illustrious, out of sight, out of this world, outstanding, premier, prime, principal, prize-winning, splendid, super, superior, tip top, top drawer, top-notch*, topflight, tops, unbeaten, undefeated, world class |
| Antonyms: | poorest, worst |
| Main Entry: | chief |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | most important, essential |
| Synonyms: | arch, capital, cardinal, central, champion, consequential, controlling, crucial, effective, especial, first, foremost, grand, head, highest, key, leading, main, major, momentous, number one, outstanding, paramount, potent, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, prime, principal, ruling, significant, star, stellar, superior, supreme, telling, uppermost, vital, weighty |
| Antonyms: | inessential, minor, secondary, subordinate, unimportant, unnecessary |
| Main Entry: | dominant |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | superior, controlling |
| Synonyms: | ascendant, assertive, authoritative, bossy, chief, commanding, demonstrative, despotic, domineering, effective, first, foremost, governing, imperative, imperious, leading, main, obtaining, outweighing, overbalancing, overbearing, overweighing, paramount, powerful, predominant, predominate, preeminent, preponderant, presiding, prevailing, prevalent, principal, regnant, reigning, ruling, sovereign, supreme, surpassing, transcendent |
| Antonyms: | humble, inferior, modest, reserved, retiring, unaggressive, unassuming, uncontrolling |
| Main Entry: | early |
| Part of Speech: | adverb |
| Definition: | immediately |
| Synonyms: | at once, betimes, directly, first, freshly, in a jiffy, in an instant, in no time, instantaneously, instantly, newly, presto, primitively, promptly, recently, right away, seasonably, soon, straightaway, summarily, thereon, thereupon, timely, without delay |
| Antonyms: | late |
| Main Entry: | exalted |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | praised; held in high esteem |
| Synonyms: | astral, august, dignified, elevated, eminent, exaggerated, excessive, first, grand, high, high-minded, high-ranking, highest, highest-ranking, honorable, honored, ideal, illustrious, immodest, imposing, inflated, intellectual, leading, lofty, magnificent, noble, number one, outstanding, overblown, pompous, prestigious, pretentious, proud, self-important, sublime, superb, superior, top-drawer, top-ranking, uplifting |
| Antonyms: | condemned, criticized, debased, denounced, humiliated |
| Main Entry: | excellent |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | superior, wonderful |
| Synonyms: | A-1, accomplished, admirable, attractive, capital, certified, champion, choice, choicest, desirable, distinctive, distinguished, estimable, exceptional, exemplary, exquisite, fine, finest, first, first-class, first-rate, good, great, high, incomparable, invaluable, magnificent, meritorious, notable, noted, outstanding, peerless, piked, premium, priceless, prime, select, skillful, sterling, striking, superb, superlative, supreme, tiptop, top-notch, transcendent, world-class |
| Antonyms: | bad, failing, imperfect, indistinguished, inferior, poor, second-class, second-rate, unnoteworthy, unworthy |
| Main Entry: | former |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | previous in time or order |
| Synonyms: | above, aforementioned, aforesaid, ancient, antecedent, anterior, bygone, departed, earlier, erstwhile, ex-, first, foregoing, late, long ago, long gone, of yore, old, once, one-time, past, preceding, prior, quondam, sometime, whilom |
| Notes: | latter means referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned; former means referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned |
| Antonyms: | after, current, ensuing, following, future, present, prospective, subsequent, succeeding |