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
-
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.
This is a town that has seen significant change in recent years and this part of town more than most.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
If the private labs achieve just part of what they are aiming to build, we believe significant upside remains in many public stocks.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
“They may not be zero, but they will at least not be as significant as we saw in 2026,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
While Pratt impressed some political observers with his performance in a May 6 televised debate with Bass and Raman, others said he alienated a significant portion of Angelenos with some of his social media antics.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
“How is the lovely Miss Randal?” asked Amy with a significant smile.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
