significant

significant — adjective

1. A significant amount, change, or event is big enough for people to notice or for

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A significant amount, change, or event is big enough for people to notice or for it to have a real effect.

Example

There is a significant difference between the two teaching methods, according to the report.

Dr. Shanti’s research made a significant contribution to heart disease treatment.

significant contribution to [field]

Common collocations
  • significant difference
  • significant impact
  • significant increase
  • significant change
  • significant contribution
  • significant improvement
  • significant decline
Synonyms
  • important

    Broader term; can describe subjective value as well as measurable effect

  • notable

    Suggests something is worth noticing, often on a smaller scale than significant

  • substantial

    Emphasises size or amount rather than importance or effect

  • considerable

    Focuses on large quantity or degree, without necessarily implying consequence

Antonyms
  • insignificant

    Not important or large enough to matter

  • minor

    Small in size, degree, or importance

  • negligible

    So small or unimportant that it can be ignored

Grammar Patterns

significant + noun

be + significant

it is significant that + clause

Usage Note

Frequently modifies nouns of measurable change such as difference, increase, decline, impact, or contribution. In academic and formal writing, significant is preferred over big or important to describe effects that can be observed or measured.

Common Mistakes

❗ 'She played a significant role in the school play.' ✅ 'She played an important role in the school play.' — significant usually describes measurable effects or changes, not personal or subjective importance.

2. Describes a look, word, gesture, or object that carries a special meaning, espec

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describes a look, word, gesture, or object that carries a special meaning, especially one that only certain people recognise or that is not immediately obvious.

Example

Roya gave her brother a significant look when their father mentioned the surprise trip.

significant look / glance

In their family, the old oak tree has a significant meaning that only relatives understand.

has a significant meaning

Common collocations
  • significant look
  • significant glance
  • significant gesture
  • significant nod
  • significant meaning
Synonyms
  • meaningful

    Broader term; can describe personal emotional value as well as hidden meaning

  • telling

    Reveals something about a situation, often unintentionally

  • expressive

    Focuses on facial expressions or gestures that show feelings

  • suggestive

    Hints at something without stating it directly

Antonyms
  • meaningless

    Having no importance or special significance

  • empty

    Lacking real meaning or substance

Grammar Patterns

significant + noun

be + significant

Usage Note

The subject is typically a look, glance, word, name, gesture, symbol, or object. The special meaning is usually shared only by the people involved or by those who know the context. This sense is common in storytelling and descriptions of non-verbal communication.

Common Mistakes

❗ 'The gift was significant to her because she liked the colour.' ✅ 'The gift was significant to her because it represented their years of friendship.' — in this sense, significant implies a hidden or shared meaning, not just personal preference.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Significant, important, notable, substantial, and considerable all describe something that stands out, but they differ in emphasis. Important is the broadest term and can refer to anything of value, whether the value is measurable or purely personal. Significant more often carries the sense that the size or effect is large enough to matter in a concrete way — a significant rise in temperature affects the climate, not just the thermometer. Notable suggests something worth paying attention to, but the scale can be smaller: a notable achievement is impressive without being world-changing. Substantial and considerable both focus on size or quantity: a substantial meal is big, whereas a significant meal would be one with meaningful consequences. Similarly, a considerable delay is a long one, but a significant delay is one that disrupts plans. Use significant when you want to stress that the size or degree has real, observable effects.

important ↗notable ↗substantial ↗considerable ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • highly significant
  • particularly significant
  • especially significant
  • statistically significant

Phrases

  • of significant importance

Prepositions

  • significant for
  • significant to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Significant comes from the Latin verb significare, meaning ‘to show, to indicate, to mean’, which is formed from signum (‘sign, mark’) and facere (‘to make, to do’). It entered English in the 1500s via French significatif, originally carrying only the sense of ‘having meaning’ (modern sense 2). The meaning ‘important or noteworthy’ (sense 1) developed in the 1700s as people began using the word to describe things that ‘carry weight’ or ‘mean something’ in a broader, more impactful way.