significance

[ sig-nif-i-kuhns ]

noun

1. importance; consequence:

   the significance of the new treaty.

   Synonyms: weight, moment

   Antonyms: triviality

2. meaning; import:

   The familiar place had a new significance for her.

3. the quality of being significant or having a meaning:

   to give significance to dull chores.

significance

/ sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns /

noun

1. consequence or importance
2. something signified, expressed, or intended
3. the state or quality of being significant
4. statistics
   1. a measure of the confidence that can be placed in a result, esp a substantive causal hypothesis, as not being merely a matter of chance
   2. ( as modifier ) Compare confidence level See also hypothesis testing

      a significance level

Other Words From

• nonsig·nifi·cance noun
• self-sig·nifi·cance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of significance¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin significantia “force, meaning,” equivalent to significant- ( significant ) + -ia -ia; ( -ance )

Synonym Study

See importance. See meaning.

Example Sentences

Aware of Truffles’s significance in my day, friends ask after her.

From Washington Post

Online sellers that don’t overlook the significance of creative product descriptions witness lower bounce rates and better ecommerce conversion rate than stores that don’t get this step right.

From Search Engine Watch

A 2013 review found that, among studies that followed people for at least a year, keto dieters lost about two pounds more than low-fat dieters, a finding the authors called “of little clinical significance.”

From Washington Post

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock were sworn in to office Wednesday, giving the Democrats a narrow majority in the Senate and affirming the historical significance of their victories in Georgia.

From Vox

This carries significance for AI, since quantum computing has the potential to supercharge AI applications compared to binary-based classical computers.

From MIT Technology Review

Most people, however, understood the significance of the photo immediately-- especially those who share my skin.

From The Daily Beast

The significance of the history of women in the early Church is not lost on Episcopalian.

From The Daily Beast

Her experiences are recorded in a prison diary in which she has visions that have significance for the whole community.

From The Daily Beast

The quote is apocryphal, but that has not changed its significance for Army football players.

From The Daily Beast

He was a!ways ready to tell a story that seemed fraught with significance.

From The Daily Beast

Let them open their minds to us, let them put upon permanent record the significance of all their intrigues and manœuvres.

From Project Gutenberg

Diplococci without capsules are common in the sputum, but have no special significance.

From Project Gutenberg

The significance of time is determined by the movement of any selection, or, in other words, the rhythm.

From Project Gutenberg

The reason we associate rhythm with the significance of time is that rhythm is a measurer of time.

From Project Gutenberg

A little incident which his mother remembers is not without a pretty allegoric significance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• consequence
• gravity
• influence
• magnitude
• matter
• merit
• prestige
• relevance
• virtue
• weight