significant

/sig'nifikənt/

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Explanation of "Significant"

The word "significant" is an adjective, which means it describes something that is important or has meaning. When we say something is significant, we believe it matters or has a special importance.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "significant" when you want to express that something has a large impact or is worth noticing. It can refer to changes, contributions, differences, or details.

Examples:

1. Everyday Example: "The teacher made a significant change to the lesson plan, which helped students learn better."
2. Statistical Example: "The results of the experiment showed a significant difference between the two groups."

Advanced Usage:

In more complex contexts, "significant" can relate to statistical analysis, where it indicates that a result is unlikely to happen by chance. For example: - "The research found that the interaction effect between variables was significant at the .01 level."

Word Variants:

• Significantly (adverb): This means "in a significant way."
  • Example: "The results improved significantly after the new method was applied."
• Significance (noun): This refers to the importance or meaning of something.
  • Example: "The significance of the discovery changed the way scientists understand the issue."

Different Meanings:

1. General Importance: Referring to something that matters.

   • Example: "His contribution was significant to the project."

2. Statistical Meaning: In research, it indicates that results are unlikely to occur by chance.

   • Example: "The findings were statistically significant, meaning they are reliable."

Synonyms:

• Important
• Meaningful
• Noteworthy
• Consequential
• Major

Idioms:

While there are no direct idioms using "significant," you might encounter phrases like: - "A significant step forward" – meaning a major improvement or advancement.

Phrasal Verbs:

There are no common phrasal verbs that include "significant," but you can use it in sentences with other verbs: - "Make a significant impact" – to have a strong effect on something.

Summary:

"Significant" is a word that emphasizes importance or meaning. It can be used in everyday conversation, academic writing, or statistical contexts.

Academic

Adjective

1. rich in significance or implication
   • a meaning look
2. too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicating a systematic relation
   • the interaction effect is significant at the .01 level
   • no significant difference was found
3. fairly large
   • won by a substantial margin
4. important in effect or meaning
   • a significant change in tax laws
   • a significant change in the Constitution
   • a significant contribution
   • significant details
   • statistically significant

Synonyms

• meaning
• pregnant
• substantial
• important