“Significant” means something that is important enough to matter or noticeable enough to make a difference.

Core meanings of “significant”

  • Important or meaningful : If something is significant, it has real importance or impact.
    • “This is a significant decision” = a decision that will seriously affect the situation.
  • Noticeable or large enough to matter:
    • “A significant increase in prices” = an increase big enough that people really feel it.
  • With special meaning:
    • “She gave him a significant look” = a look that quietly means something, not just a random glance.

In casual everyday English, if someone says “That’s significant,” they usually mean “That’s pretty important” or “That actually matters , it’s not minor.”

How it’s used in different contexts

  • Everyday life:
    • “It was a significant day for me” = a day that meant a lot personally (like a birthday, graduation, or big life event).
  • Numbers and amounts:
    • “A significant number of people disagreed” = many people, enough that you can’t ignore it.
  • Science and statistics:
    • “Statistically significant” means a result is unlikely to be due to chance and is considered real or meaningful in the study.
  • Subtle communication:
    • “A significant gesture” can be a small action that carries a deeper or hidden meaning.

Simple examples

  • “There was a significant difference between the two test scores.” = The difference was big enough to matter.
  • “She made a significant contribution to the project.” = What she did was truly important.
  • “It is significant that he never answered the question.” = The fact that he didn’t answer is meaningful, not random.

If you tell me the sentence where you saw “significant,” I can explain exactly what it means in that specific context.