significant
pronunciation
How to pronounce significant in British English:
UK [sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt]
How to pronounce significant in American English:
US [sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt]
-
- Adjective:
- important in effect or meaning
- fairly large
- too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicating a systematic relation
- rich in significance or implication
Word Origin
- significant (adj.)
- 1570s, "having a meaning," from Latin significantem (nominative significans, present participle of significare "make known, indicate" (see signify). Earlier in the same sense was significative (c. 1400). Often "having a special or secret meaning," hence "important" (1761). Related: Significantly. Significant figure is from 1680s. Significant other (n.) attested by 1961, in psychology, "the most influential other person in the patient's world."
Synonym
significative premonitory symbolic telling implicative boding prognostic foreboding prophetic pithy indicative suggestive pregnant ominous profound allusive portentous diagnostic connotative symptomatic representational deep meaningful meaning
revealing secret informative understood esoteric private surreptitious telling effective demonstrative forceful covert exhibitive expressive inside clandestine
chief heavy vital major weighty material note decisive great principal primary outstanding prime substantial momentous exigent pressing valuable necessary leading of big foremost important considerable consequential influential remarkable powerful notable urgent fateful critical crucial prominent serious emergent large sizable noteworthy grave essential eminent main historic eventful
Antonym
Example
- 1. True , there are still significant benefits to eu membership .
- 2. But now significant policy risks are resurfacing .
- 3. Symbolically significant donations are pouring in too .
- 4. This model has significant policy implications .
- 5. Vw still faces significant challenges in china .