significant
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- important, critical, material, momentous, noteworthy, serious, vital, weighty
- meaningful, eloquent, expressive, indicative, suggestive

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Antonyms: insignificant
Contrasted words: meaningless, unexpressive, unimportant, inconsequential
Related Words: cogent, compelling, convincing, sound, telling, valid, forceful, powerful, important, momentous, weighty

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English Thesaurus: change, alter, adapt, adjust, modify, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

sig‧nif‧i‧cant S2 W1 AC /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/ adjective
[Word Family: noun: significance ≠ insignificance, signification; verb: signify; adverb: significantly ≠ insignificantly; adjective: significant ≠ insignificant]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: present participle of significare; ⇒ signify]

1. having an important effect or influence, especially on what will happen in the future Antonym : insignificant:
His most significant political achievement was the abolition of the death penalty.
Please inform us if there are any significant changes in your plans.
significant for
The result is highly significant for the future of the province.
it is significant that
It is significant that the writers of the report were all men.

2. large enough to be noticeable or have noticeable effects Antonym : insignificant:
A significant number of drivers fail to keep to speed limits.
A significant part of Japan’s wealth is invested in the West.
There is a significant difference between the number of home births now and ten years ago.
The rise in temperature is not statistically significant.

3. a significant look, smile etc has a special meaning that is not known to everyone:
He gave me a significant look.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

significant
adj.
VERBS be, prove | become | remain | consider sth (as), deem sth, regard sth as, see sth as, think sth, view sth as The move was regarded as significant in Japan.
ADV. deeply, extremely, highly, particularly, very | fairly, quite | statistically These differences are not statistically significant.
PREP. for This development proved highly significant for the whole town.
to rituals which are deeply significant to Christians

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

important having a big effect on people’s lives or on events in the future:
an important decision
Good qualifications are increasingly important.
big important or serious:
It’s a big decision.
a big problem
significant important enough to be noticeable or have a big effect:
There is no significant difference between the performance of male and female students.
The Internet has brought about significant changes in people’s lives.
noteworthy formal important or interesting enough to deserve your attention:
The castle is the island’s most noteworthy feature.
The jury’s verdict was noteworthy for a number of reasons.
essential very important, especially for the success, health, or safety of someone or something:
It is essential to speak the local language.
essential supplies of food and clothing
vital/crucial extremely important, because without it there could be serious problems:
His evidence was vital to the case.
The US plays a crucial role in the region.
The media are a vital part of the political system.
key extremely important and having a big effect:
Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb.
Timing is key.
of great/considerable importance very important:
In the construction industry, health and safety are of considerable importance.
momentous very important because it has a very great effect on the future:
Momentous events were taking place in Russia.
a momentous decision
main/chief/principal [only before noun] most important:
What was your main aim?
the principal reason for their decision
the chief cause of the recession
major [usually before noun] one of the most important or serious things:
Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.
Street crime is a major problem.
central/primary [usually before noun] most important – used especially when talking about the main thing that people are discussing, worried about, or trying to do:
Education will be the central issue in the election.
Our primary concern is passenger safety.
paramount /ˈpærəmaʊnt/ formal more important than anything else, so that you must consider it when deciding what to do:
Airport security is of paramount importance.
The needs of the students are paramount.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲