significant

The word “significant” means important enough to be noticed or to have a real effect. In plain terms, notable, meaningful, or large enough to matter — not to be confused with merely "big".

“Significant” is pronounced sihg-NIHF-ih-kuhnt (/sɪɡˈnɪf.ə.kənt/ in IPA).

Here is “significant” used in a sentence: “There has been a significant improvement in her health.”

Words with a similar meaning to “significant” include important.

The opposite of “significant” — its antonyms — are insignificant, ignorable, negligible and slight.

“Significant” is an adjective.

The word “significant” comes from Latin. From Latin significans, present participle of significare ("to signify, indicate").

“Significant” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

They overlap, but the emphasis differs. 'Important' stresses value or priority — something that matters and deserves attention. 'Significant' stresses having a real, noticeable effect or meaning — enough to make a difference or signal something. A significant change is one large enough to be measured; an important one is simply worth caring about.

In statistics, a result is 'significant' when it is unlikely to have happened by chance alone. Researchers set a threshold — often a probability below 5% — and if the data clears it, they treat the effect as real rather than random. It does not necessarily mean the effect is large or important.

Common opposites are 'insignificant,' 'negligible,' and 'trivial' — all describing something too small to matter or be noticed. 'Minor,' 'slight' and 'unimportant' work too. In the statistical sense, the opposite is 'non-significant,' meaning a result that could easily be down to chance.