significantly

American  

[sig-nif-i-kuhnt-lee] / sɪgˈnɪf ɪ kənt li /

adverb

1. in a way or as a fact that is important and deserves attention.

   Significantly, Australia was a nation born in peacetime, not war.

2. by a relatively great amount or to a relatively high degree.

   She seems to have grown significantly as a character—her decisions are more mature, for one thing.

3. in a way that carries special, secret, or private meaning.

   The detective looked significantly at the collection of pills on the table, but said nothing.

4. Statistics. in a way or to a degree that is unlikely to occur by chance and therefore indicates a systematic cause.

   These results show that sleep significantly affects memory organization, even in the infant brain.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonsignificantly adverb
• supersignificantly adverb
• unsignificantly adverb

Etymology

Origin of significantly

significant ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

The Strait of Hormuz disruption during the conflict caused fertilizer prices to surge, significantly benefiting CF Industries.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

It appears Fernandez is unlikely to back down unless he secures a new contract on significantly improved terms or is sold.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Bad credit significantly increases borrowing costs, which can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of a loan compared with someone who has a strong credit score.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Diamond said that in the company’s clinical research on men with male-factor infertility, findings showed its male prenatals significantly boosted sperm motility, or how well the sperm moves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Earl handles me significantly more gently once he’s closed the door.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• actually
• approximately
• necessarily
• originally
• permanently
• quite
• really
• substantially
• truly
• typically
• virtually