significant

adjective

sig·​nif·​i·​cant sig-ˈni-fi-kənt How to pronounce significant (audio)
1
: having meaning
especially : suggestive
a significant glance
2
a
: having or likely to have influence or effect : important
a significant piece of legislation
also : of a noticeably or measurably large amount
a significant number of layoffs
producing significant profits
b
: probably caused by something other than mere chance
statistically significant correlation between vitamin deficiency and disease

Examples of significant in a Sentence

Historians of ancient gender have seen this as crucially significant. Women in antiquity were by definition so disempowered that the authority of a new female ruler could only be captured by representing her in the guise of a man. Or so the argument goes. Mary Beard, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
While Congress will take a significant role in designing new regulation and is not likely to rubber-stamp the administration's proposals, momentum is strong for the creation of comprehensive financial reform. Marc I. Seltzer et al., Commonweal, 19 June 2009
A new study on women and the media from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that overweight women and women with eating disorders are not the only ones negatively affected by unrealistic advertisements (as previous studies have indicated). After viewing images of models, women of all sizes reported a significant decrease in satisfaction with their weight, hair, physical shape and sexual attractiveness. Ms., Summer 2007
One of [Charles] Darwin's most extraordinary qualities was his ability to recognize when a scientific question could not be answered because of the limitations of the science of his day. He knew, for instance, that during his lifetime, no significant progress would be made on the question of how life began. Amy Stewart, Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2004
A significant number of customers complained about the service. He won a significant amount of money. There is a significant difference in prices between the two stores. The study found a statistically significant decrease in symptoms in patients who had taken the drug. a significant event in the history of our nation Fish is a significant part of their diet. It is significant that she never mentioned him. He gave us a significant wink.
Recent Examples on the Web However, sleeping on wet hair from time to time isn’t likely to cause any significant harm, dermatologists said. Korin Miller, Health, 7 Mar. 2024 My eyelids are droopy, leading to significant pressure, blurry vision, and dizziness. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 However, independent expenditures can sway the outcome of races in major ways, especially in elections with candidates who do not already have significant name recognition. Lindsey Holden, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 So the rules that are in place are going to require a significant amount of green hydrogen in Europe and a significant amount of blue hydrogen in Japan, Korea, and all of that. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2024 The missile struck the MV True Confidence at about 11:30 a.m. in Yemen, causing significant damage to the cargo ship, two U.S. officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Future projections predict the market could reach thousands of GWh per year by 2030, a significant increase. Wesley Chang, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 While that sounds like good news, there is a pretty significant catch. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2024 The great challenge was translating that to film – finding the right balance of symbolic, visually arresting and emotionally significant. Ben Croll, Variety, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'significant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin significant-, significans, present participle of significare to signify

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of significant was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near significant

Cite this Entry

“Significant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/significant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

significant

adjective
sig·​nif·​i·​cant sig-ˈnif-i-kənt How to pronounce significant (audio)
1
: having much importance
2
: probably caused by something other than chance
a statistically significant relationship between vitamin deficiency and disease
3
: having meaning and especially a hidden or special meaning
gave us a significant wink
significantly adverb
Etymology

from Latin significant-, significans, present participle of significare "to signify, indicate," from signum "mark, sign, image" — related to sign

Medical Definition

significant

adjective
sig·​nif·​i·​cant sig-ˈnif-i-kənt How to pronounce significant (audio)
: probably caused by something other than mere chance
a statistically significant correlation between diet and disease
significantly adverb

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