significant
highneutral to formal
Definition
Meaning
important, noteworthy, having meaning or consequence.
Sufficiently large or important to be worthy of attention; having a particular, often unstated, meaning; statistically unlikely to be due to chance.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Can denote statistical probability (p-value), symbolic meaning, or notable importance. Context determines whether it refers to size, importance, or expressiveness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'statistically significant' in research. The phrase 'significant other' is slightly more established in American English.
Connotations
In British English, can occasionally sound more formal or academic in everyday contexts. In American English, slightly more integrated into general business and media language.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in both academic and professional contexts. Slightly higher in American corpora in general prose.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
significant for [noun/gerund]significant to [person/entity]significant in [field/context]significant that [clause]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “significant other”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to a measurable impact on profits, market share, or strategy: 'The deal represents a significant opportunity for growth.'
Academic
Primarily used for statistical analysis and to denote importance in arguments: 'The correlation was found to be statistically significant.'
Everyday
Used for notable events, amounts, or changes: 'We noticed a significant improvement in the weather.'
Technical
In statistics, describes a result unlikely to be random. In computing, can refer to bits or digits carrying meaning.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The discovery was of significant archaeological value.
- He made a significant contribution to the debate.
American English
- This is a significant development in the case.
- There's been a significant uptick in sales this quarter.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This is a significant day for our family.
- There is a significant park near my house.
- The test score showed a significant improvement.
- Pollution has a significant effect on health.
- The new law will have significant implications for small businesses.
- Researchers observed a significant correlation between diet and energy levels.
- The findings were not statistically significant, so the hypothesis was rejected.
- Her silence during the meeting was politically significant.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a giant SIGN (as in 'signature') on an IMPORTANT document. SIGN + I + FICANT (sounds like 'if I can't') → 'If I can't sign this, it's not SIGNIFICANT.'
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE IS SIZE/WEIGHT (a significant amount), IMPORTANCE IS VISIBILITY/NOTICEABILITY (a significant finding).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid overtranslating as 'значительный' when it merely means 'large' without importance; use 'substantial' or 'considerable'.
- Do not confuse with 'значимый' (meaningful) in all contexts; 'significant' often stresses consequence, not just meaning.
- In statistics, 'statistically significant' is 'статистически значимый', not 'важный'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'very significant' redundantly with 'highly significant' (acceptable but can be tautological).
- Misplacing stress: /SIG-nif-i-cant/ instead of /sig-NIF-i-cant/.
- Using 'significant' to mean 'many' without the nuance of importance: 'He has significant friends.' (Odd; use 'many important friends').
Practice
Quiz
In a scientific paper, what does 'significant' most precisely imply?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in literary or formal contexts, e.g., 'a significant glance' means a look that conveys an unspoken message.
It is grammatically correct but can be redundant. 'Highly significant' or 'extremely significant' are more idiomatic in formal writing.
'Important' is broader. 'Significant' often implies measurable consequence, statistical validity, or being noteworthy in a specific context, not just general importance.
It is a neutral, semi-formal term for a person's spouse or long-term romantic partner, used to avoid specifying marital status or gender.
Collections
Part of a collection
Academic Vocabulary
C1 · 36 words · Formal academic language used in scholarly writing.
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