Home British & World English significant

Definition of significant in English:

significant

adjective

1Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.
‘a significant increase in sales’
- ‘The nurses want a significant increase in their flat fee for agreeing to be on call.’
- ‘There is no doubt that this was a serious injury with significant orthopaedic and cosmetic consequences.’
- ‘We thought it only fitting that we do something quite significant for humanity.’
- ‘Bernoulli was one of the most significant promoters of the formal methods of higher analysis.’
- ‘One of the most significant demographic changes was the decline of infant mortality at the turn of the century.’
- ‘It is important to understand just how significant this new idea was.’
- ‘The appeal raises a point of some general importance and concerns a significant sum.’
- ‘Rap, jazz and so called world music have seen significant increases in CD sales in the past few years.’
- ‘The next significant study of perfect numbers was made by Nicomachus of Gerasa.’
- ‘At present there seems to be a significant disparity in the statistics that are being reported.’
- ‘If the problem is difficult enough, a theorem like this can be a significant achievement.’
- ‘Max's published work, as significant and substantial as it is, is not what we will remember him by.’
- ‘Weldon asked the questions that drove Pearson to some of his most significant contributions.’
- ‘Although he was not a prolific writer, his work had a significant impact and is still of considerable interest.’
- ‘A rise in temperature of this kind would have a significant effect on the distribution of vegetation.’
- ‘This could be the only significant side effect possibly related to the product use.’
- ‘This has the makings of a very significant case of very considerable legal importance.’
- ‘Yet the British music scene has always been an early indicator of significant social and political change.’
- ‘They have achieved international publicity and significant sales in every continent.’
- ‘This work was little known about at the time but it has since emerged how significant this work proved to be.’
notable, noteworthy, worthy of attention, remarkable, outstanding, important, of importance, of consequence, consequential
View synonyms
2Having a particular meaning; indicative of something.
‘in times of stress her dreams seemed to her especially significant’
- ‘The data indicate that ethnicity is a significant factor in the development and course of the disease.’
- ‘It is significant that this weighty information is not revealed to the reader.’
- ‘The walls are covered with photographs marking significant moments in Wood Group's history.’
- ‘As for adultery, it is significant that Santorum suggests it should be treated as a crime.’
- ‘Ceres is the symbol of authority and it is significant also that she is goddess of the harvest and fecundity.’
- ‘It is not intelligence, it is information, and that, I think, is a significant point.’
- ‘These statements may have been symbolic, but the symbolism was highly significant in the context.’
- ‘Most significant of all, we felt, was that so many divers were keen enough to queue up to have their fitness checked.’
- ‘Almost every significant word seems to suggest a corresponding image in sound.’
- ‘For Fagan, the next few weeks promise to be the most significant of her year.’
- ‘But Gordon Brown had a new and highly significant message for his American audience.’
- ‘Is it possible that certain expressions of hybridity are more significant than others?’
- ‘Naming newborn children is always a very meaningful and significant issue for a family.’
- ‘Yes, but these disappearing acts are significant because they are symbolic of a wider truth.’
- ‘In measuring that weakness, his sexual misbehaviour is more symbolic than significant.’
- ‘Empires from Rome to Carthage fought over this most significant of nautical prizes.’
- ‘Use Mediamancy to derive significant messages from billboards and shop names.’
- ‘But symbolically, heading off to cover the conference is hugely significant for me.’
- ‘The national flower is the ceibo and the most symbolically significant tree is the ombu.’
- ‘So how come the most prevalent symbol of this monumentally significant festival is the chocolate egg?’
1. 2.1 Suggesting a meaning or message that is not explicitly stated.
  ‘she gave him a significant look’
  ‘Downstairs, Martha gives Margaretha a significant look, upon which she rises and excuses herself to her guests, who leave.’
  ‘At all times and in all hours they were in deep consultation and Margarot was observed to say to Campbell, with a significant wink, "keep an eye on the old gentleman", meaning me.’
  meaningful, expressive, eloquent, informative, revealing, indicative, suggestive, symbolic, relevant, pregnant, knowing, telling, pithy, valid, purposeful
  View synonyms
3Statistics
Relating to or having significance.
- ‘The first study fell short of showing a statistically significant benefit.’
- ‘All of these physiological parameters showed significant differences statistically.’
- ‘Just as for the acentrics, group and radiation dose were statistically significant predictors.’
- ‘When we found the effect of sex to be statistically significant we regressed the male and female data separately.’
- ‘We considered a P value of less than 0.05 to be statistical significant in all comparisons.’