significantly

[sig-nif-i-kuhnt-lee]

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of significantly¹

significant ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"Intellectual ability was significantly correlated with speech perception thresholds in all three groups."

Read more on Science Daily

I have quite a bit of money in a mutual fund, which has done well due to the amount of tech stocks and others that have appreciated significantly.

Read more on Barron's

I have quite a bit of money in a mutual fund, which has done well due to the amount of tech stocks and others that have appreciated significantly.

Read more on Barron's

The area can produce at least 278 million board feet per year under current plans, “with the potential for significantly more,” Joseph said in a mid-October letter to Congress.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Seoul has already pledged to significantly raise its defense budget next year, with the goal of spending 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defense by 2035.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• actually 
• approximately 
• necessarily 
• originally 
• permanently www.thesaurus.com
• quite 
• really 
• substantially 
• truly 
• typically 
• virtually