significance
Americannoun
-
importance; consequence.
the significance of the new treaty.
- Antonyms:
- triviality
-
meaning; import.
The familiar place had a new significance for her.
-
the quality of being significant or having a meaning.
to give significance to dull chores.
noun
-
consequence or importance
-
something signified, expressed, or intended
-
the state or quality of being significant
-
statistics
-
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
-
( as modifier ) Compare confidence level See also hypothesis testing
a significance level
-
Related Words
See importance. See meaning.
Other Word Forms
- nonsignificance noun
- self-significance noun
Etymology
Origin of significance
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin significantia “force, meaning,” equivalent to significant- ( significant ) + -ia -ia; ( -ance )
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.
The significance of this research extends beyond the Red Planet.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
As the Iran war dominates headlines, Visser believes OpenClaw’s significance is being overlooked.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
These days, a horror film must also be a blistering allegory for real life, with plenty of subtextual significance for the thinking viewer to glom onto.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
When Ms. Beetz sums up her ordeal by saying, “Rich people,” the script’s reach for significance is so awkward it creaks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
He would also be struck by the dramatically elevated significance of one particular institutional force in the perpetuation and deepening of those patterns: the criminal justice system.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
