adjective · formal
significant
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/sig·NIF·i·cant
important, large, or noticeable; often used about results or changes that matter
Examples
“There was a significant increase in applications after the new policy.”
“The difference is not statistically significant, so we cannot be sure.”
“Her contribution was significant to the team's success.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although the overall change seems small, the intervention produced a significant improvement in reading scores among low‑income pupils.”
Collocations
- significant difference
- statistically significant
- significant increase/decrease
Word family
Common mistakes
The rate increased significant.→The rate increased significantly.
This result is not significant statistic.→This result is not statistically significant.
Say it for a higher band
5important→6considerable→7+significant
Synonyms
substantial
important
Easily confused
considerable
“The study showed a significant decrease in infection rates, meaning the result was statistically reliable rather than merely a considerable numerical drop or simply an important observation.”
important
“It is important to get enough sleep if you want to concentrate during the workday.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Sublist 1
Learn it with its set