significant
Etymology

From Latin significans, present participle of significare, from signum ("sign") + ficare ("do, make"), variant of facere.

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /sɪɡˈnɪf.ɪ.kənt/
  • (America) IPA: /sɪɡˈnɪf.ə.kənt/, /sɪɡˈnɪf.ə.ɡənt/
Adjective

significant

  1. Signifying something; carrying meaning.
    Synonyms: meaningful
    a significant word or sound
    a significant look
    • 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC ↗, (please specify |book=1 to 5):
      It was well said of Plotinus, that the stars were significant, but not efficient.
  2. Having a noticeable or major effect.
    Synonyms: notable
    That was a significant step in the right direction.
    The First World War was a significant event.
  3. Reasonably large in number or amount.
  4. Having a covert or hidden meaning.
  5. (statistics) Having a low probability of occurring by chance (for example, having high correlation and thus likely to be related).
  6. (mathematics) Of a digit or figure, see significant figure.
Synonyms

Sense 1 (meaningful):

Antonyms Related terms Translations Translations Translations Translations Noun

significant (plural significants)

  1. That which has significance; a sign; a token; a symbol.
    • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene iv]:
      In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts.
    • a. 1850, William Wordsworth, The Egyptian Maid:
      And in my glass significants there are



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