significant
gb/sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt/ us/sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt/
B1
Anglais
~ 900
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B1
property
1
important or influential
Very important or having a big effect.
Schéma d’usage :
a significant [change/difference/event]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'significant' with 'sign' or 'signal' because of similar word forms, but 'significant' refers to importance, not to a sign or signal.
Synonymes
important (Most common synonym; very close in meaning but slightly more general.)
|
notable (Slightly more formal and often used for something worth mentioning.)
Antonymes
insignificant (Direct opposite; means not important or too small to matter.)
Collocations
significant change
|significant difference
|significant impact
|significant role
|significant event
Thèmes
general
|communication
|evaluation
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The new policy will have a significant impact on the economy.
- Her research made a significant contribution to the field.
- We saw a significant improvement in test scores after the new teaching method was introduced.
- Losing that client was a significant setback for the company.
- He played a significant role in the negotiations.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The weather had a significant effect on our plans.
- She made a significant change to her diet.
- This is a significant day for our school.
- He has a significant job in the company.
adjective
technical
B2
property
2
statistically meaningful
In statistics, showing that the result is probably real and not just by chance.
Schéma d’usage :
statistically significant [result/difference]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'statistically significant' with 'important', but in statistics it has a precise mathematical meaning unrelated to practical importance.
Synonymes
meaningful (In statistics, can imply that the result matters, but less precise than 'significant'.)
Antonymes
non-significant (Technical opposite in statistics; means the result may be due to chance.)
Collocations
statistically significant result
|statistically significant difference
|statistically significant finding
Thèmes
science
|statistics
Exemples
- The study found a statistically significant difference between the two groups.
- These results are not statistically significant at the 5% level.
- A statistically significant correlation was observed between smoking and lung cancer.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The test showed a statistically significant change.
- This number is not statistically significant.
- We found a statistically significant link between the two things.
adjective
B2
property
3
expressive or meaningful
Showing a special meaning, often without speaking.
Schéma d’usage :
a significant [look/glance/gesture]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes mistake this sense for 'important', but here it refers to implied meaning rather than importance.
Synonymes
meaningful (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable in this context.)
Antonymes
blank (Describes an expression that shows no meaning or emotion.)
Collocations
significant look
|significant glance
|significant gesture
Thèmes
communication
|emotions
Exemples
- She gave him a significant look across the table.
- There was a significant pause before he answered.
- His smile was small but significant.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She gave me a significant smile.
- He made a significant gesture toward the door.
- They shared a significant look.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
significant
API
GB/sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt/
US/sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt/
Syllabes et accentuation
sig - ni - fic - ant (4 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ni)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: significant
Famille de mots
Core family
significance
noun B1
significantly
adverb B1
Related words
signify
verb B2
Negative and opposite forms
Expressions
make a significant difference
1/mˈeɪk ə sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt dˈɪfɹəns/
fixed phrase
cause an important change
To cause an important change in something.
Exemples
- Good teachers can make a significant difference in students’ lives.
- Your help will make a significant difference to our project.
significant other
1/sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt ˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
romantic partner or spouse
A person you are in a serious romantic relationship with.
Exemples
- She brought her significant other to the party.
- He introduced me to his significant other.
statistically significant
1/stətˈɪstɪkli sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt/
fixed phrase
technical
meeting statistical criteria for significance
In statistics, showing that something probably did not happen by chance.
Exemples
- The results were statistically significant at the 1% level.
- Only two of the variables proved statistically significant.