What does significant mean?
Significant describes something that is important, consequential, or worthy of attention because of its meaning or effect. It commonly appears in phrases such as significant impact, significant difference, and significant role, and it can emphasize that a result is substantial rather than trivial. In scientific and statistical writing, significant has a more specific technical use: a statistically significant result is one that is unlikely to have arisen by chance under the assumptions of the test. This statistical sense does not necessarily mean that an effect is large, important in everyday life, or practically useful. The word’s ordinary sense can range from indicating a noticeable influence to identifying a notable fact, depending on context.
adjectiveImportant or consequential enough to be noticed or to affect something. In statistics, significant means unlikely to have arisen by chance under the assumptions of the test being used.
- Important or consequential enough to produce a noticeable effect.
- Noteworthy or deserving of attention.
- Having a meaning; meaningful.
- Unlikely to have arisen by chance under the assumptions of a statistical test.
"The new policy had a significant impact on local employment."
"There was a significant difference in the results between the two groups."
"The researcher reported that the effect was statistically significant, although its practical importance was debated."
Significant literally means “having meaning”: the word comes from Latin significare, “to mean” or “to signify,” before acquiring its modern sense of importance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does significant come from?
Significant comes from the Latin significans, the present participle of significare, meaning “to mean” or “to signify.” The English word entered use in the early 16th century and initially referred to something having meaning or expressing a meaning. By the 18th century, it had developed the broader sense of important or noteworthy. Its relatives include signify, sign, signature, and insignia, all associated with the Latin root signum, meaning “sign” or “mark.”
Related word forms
How significant is actually used
In general use, significant often suggests that something is important or has a noticeable effect. In academic and statistical contexts, it has the more technical meaning of unlikely to occur by chance; formal statistical claims also depend on the chosen significance level and should not be confused with practical importance.
Easily confused with significant
Significant means important or consequential, whereas insignificant means lacking significance or importance.