significance
Americannoun
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importance; consequence.
the significance of the new treaty.
- Antonyms:
- triviality
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meaning; import.
The familiar place had a new significance for her.
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the quality of being significant or having a meaning.
to give significance to dull chores.
noun
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consequence or importance
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something signified, expressed, or intended
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the state or quality of being significant
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statistics
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a measure of the confidence that can be placed in a result, esp a substantive causal hypothesis, as not being merely a matter of chance
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( as modifier ) Compare confidence level See also hypothesis testing
a significance level
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Related Words
See importance. See meaning.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of significance
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin significantia “force, meaning,” equivalent to significant- ( see significant) + -ia -ia; ( see -ance)
Explanation
Significance means having the quality of being "significant" — meaningful, important. It also refers to the meaning of something. A certain date might have significance because it's your birthday or the anniversary of Princess Di's wedding. Significance starts with the word sign for a reason. An item's significance is a sign of its importance. The significance of something can be implicit or explicit — meaning it can be clear or only known with a deeper understanding of the situation. Your perfect score on the Calculus exam might have added significance for people who know that you never even opened your textbook to study.
Vocabulary lists containing significance
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Nothing But the Truth
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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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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.
“Everybody has a need for significance and belonging and purpose in their life,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
But we might not have been taught the full significance of “Midway.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
"Dating the jewelry to the same time frame as the remains provides more evidence that this was a deliberate burial and opens up conversations about the significance of cave burials during this period," added Rick.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Wilding, who was then a young researcher on the team, said the results had been "very interesting" but at the time the future significance of this discovery was not fully appreciated.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
He conceded that the era of the American Revolution had been “a memorable epoch in the annals of the human race,” but the jury was still out on its significance.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
