significant
Americanadjective
-
important and deserving of attention; of consequence.
Their advice played a significant role in saving my marriage.
- Synonyms:
- weighty, momentous, consequential
-
relatively large in amount or quantity.
a significant decrease in revenue.
-
having or expressing a meaning; indicative.
a significant symbol of royalty.
-
having a special, secret, or disguised meaning; suggestive.
a significant wink.
-
Statistics. of or relating to observations that are unlikely to occur by chance and that therefore indicate a systematic cause.
Memory training produced a statistically significant improvement in group performance.
noun
adjective
-
having or expressing a meaning; indicative
-
having a covert or implied meaning; suggestive
-
important, notable, or momentous
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statistics of or relating to a difference between a result derived from a hypothesis and its observed value that is too large to be attributed to chance and that therefore tends to refute the hypothesis
Usage
What are other ways to say significant? The adjective significant describes things that are important, indicative of something, or suggestive of a hidden secret meaning. Do you know when to use significant, expressive, meaningful, and suggestive? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of significant
First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin significant- (stem of significāns ), present participle of the verb significāre “to indicate, denote”; see signify, -ant
Explanation
Use the adjective significant to describe something that is important. Your "significant other" means the person who's most important in your life. A significant result in a scientific study is a result large enough to matter. A less common meaning of significant is to describe something that has a special or hidden meaning. A significant smile can convey feelings or information without words. This adjective is from Latin significans, from significare "to signify," from signum "a sign, mark" plus facere "to make."
Vocabulary lists containing significant
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Investors may have dodged the most significant bullet on June 5, when Standard & Poor’s opted not to change its index-listing rules for any of its market indices.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Pulte had a significant personal relationship with Coe, who hobnobbed with presidents of both parties and leaders of nations around the world.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
Israeli troops reached as far as Beirut and, with the help of some Christian-led militias, occupied significant chunks of the south until 2000.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
This is a profitable business and one that generates significant income.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Although we don’t take much time in our busy day to think about it, one of the most significant uses for music is to create an aesthetic experience.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
