above all

[ uh-buhv awl ]

idiom

1. most important of all; before everything else; chiefly:

   Above all, the little girl wanted a piano.

   He said that, above all else, he was a dad of two young children.

Word History and Origins

Origin of above all¹

First recorded in 1350–1400

Idioms and Phrases

More than anything else, as in A winter hike calls for good equipment, but above all it requires careful planning . This phrase first appears in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377), in which the narrator exhorts readers to love the Lord God above all. Also see first and last .

Example Sentences

But above all, Hodge and Mustafa are charismatic performers with an easy rapport that begs for a reteaming.

From Los Angeles Times

It said the princess wanted to "celebrate the many people supporting those in need - individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive".

From BBC

Trump will be looking for loyalty above all else, and screening out any whiff of heterodox or independent thinking, from his next appointees.

From Slate

For above all else, my deepest commitment is to the person of Jesus Christ, my saviour and my God; the bearer of the sins and burdens of the world, and the hope of every person.

From BBC

Fox and Musk have gotten away with spreading disinformation because of a self-serving misapprehension of the political speech doctrine: The First Amendment protects ‘core political speech’ above all other forms of expression.

From Salon