significant

adjective sig·nif·i·cant \ sig-ˈni-fi-kənt \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: significant in a Sentence

Definition of significant

1 : having meaning; especially : suggestive

a significant glance

2 a : having or likely to have influence or effect : important

a significant piece of legislation

; also : of a noticeably or measurably large amount

a significant number of layoffs

producing significant profits

b : probably caused by something other than mere chance

statistically significant correlation between vitamin deficiency and disease

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Examples of significant in a Sentence

Historians of ancient gender have seen this as crucially significant. Women in antiquity were by definition so disempowered that the authority of a new female ruler could only be captured by representing her in the guise of a man. Or so the argument goes. —Mary Beard, New York Review of Books, 12 Feb. 2009
While Congress will take a significant role in designing new regulation and is not likely to rubber-stamp the administration's proposals, momentum is strong for the creation of comprehensive financial reform. —Marc I. Seltzer et al., Commonweal, 19 June 2009
A new study on women and the media from the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that overweight women and women with eating disorders are not the only ones negatively affected by unrealistic advertisements (as previous studies have indicated). After viewing images of models, women of all sizes reported a significant decrease in satisfaction with their weight, hair, physical shape and sexual attractiveness. —Ms., Summer 2007
One of [Charles] Darwin's most extraordinary qualities was his ability to recognize when a scientific question could not be answered because of the limitations of the science of his day. He knew, for instance, that during his lifetime, no significant progress would be made on the question of how life began. —Amy Stewart, Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2004
A significant number of customers complained about the service.
He won a significant amount of money.
There is a significant difference in prices between the two stores.
The study found a statistically significant decrease in symptoms in patients who had taken the drug.
a significant event in the history of our nation
Fish is a significant part of their diet.
It is significant that she never mentioned him.
He gave us a significant wink.

Recent Examples of significant from the Web

The single most significant moment of the Royals' rebuild was his debut in May 2011.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: Whit not an All-Star (?), Jeff Long and KU, Chiefs fears, Odom's crossroads," 10 July 2018
The three leading candidates in the Democratic primary for Baltimore County executive spent a significant amount of money on television ads before the vote.

— pamela wood, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore County Democrats spent nearly $1.7M on TV ads in primary," 14 July 2018
The majority of my time was spent using the Twitter app Tweetbot, and a significant amount was wasted playing Zynga Poker.

— New York Times, "I Used Apple’s New Controls to Limit a Teenager’s iPhone Time (and It Worked!)," 11 July 2018
Perhaps most significant is the change in the policy for recycling plastic.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "Do you take recycling seriously? Here's how Sacramento's waste rules are changing," 10 July 2018
Daimler has already spent significant amounts of money to build out lithium-ion battery assembly in Germany.

— megan geuss, Ars Technica, "Chinese firm will build battery factory in Germany to supply BMW, Volkswagen," 9 July 2018
Aaliyah requires a significant amount of attention and care, so a two-parent household with no other children would be best.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Aaliyah, 3, loves dancing to music," 7 July 2018
For one, Carpenter was a divided, 5-4 ruling that took the justices a significant amount of time to deliberate.

— louise matsakis, WIRED, "SCOTUS and Congress Leave the Right to Privacy Up for Grabs," 3 July 2018
After Trump's sweeping tax overhaul, his successful nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the court last year was his most significant achievement, affirming the unifying role that Supreme Court politics have played for Republicans.

— author: ken thomas, catherine lucey, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump enjoying a hot streak, a break from immigration news," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'significant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.