statistical significance

Cultural  

1. In statistics, a number that expresses the probability that the result of a given experiment or study could have occurred purely by chance. This number can be a margin of error (“The results of this public opinion poll are accurate to five percent”), or it can indicate a confidence level (“If this experiment were repeated, there is a probability of ninety-five percent that our conclusions would be substantiated”).

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

statistical significance

Although stomach cancer showed a trend toward higher risk, about 77% higher among heavy chili pepper consumers, the difference did not reach statistical significance.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

Note that this lack of statistical significance also means that momentum traders are wrong if they think that the market’s recent strength increases the odds of a summer rally — it doesn’t.

From MarketWatch ● May 15, 2026

But just a few weeks later the test’s manufacturer, Grail, announced disappointing study results: the test didn’t reach statistical significance in later-stage cancers—stages 3 and 4.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

"Our data is based on 300 galaxies. The statistical significance is roughly one-in-a-trillion chance of being a fluke. So, I strongly feel that already our research is very, very significant."

From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025

The early scientists did not even know how to perform a test for statistical significance.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton