On this page11 sections
The best other word for significant depends on which of its meanings you have in mind. If you mean important, try major, notable, key or momentous. If you mean large in amount, use considerable, substantial, sizeable or marked. If you mean full of meaning, as in “a significant look”, the words are meaningful, telling and pointed.
There is also a fourth meaning that has no safe synonym: in research, statistically significant is a technical term, and swapping it for “important” or “big” changes what the sentence claims. The sections below take each meaning in turn, with an example sentence for every word, then cover opposites, the mistakes that come up most often, and a short practice set.
Quick picker
| You mean… | Words to try | Example |
|---|---|---|
| important, worth attention | major, notable, key, important, noteworthy | The treaty was a major step toward peace. |
| important enough to change history | momentous, historic, landmark, pivotal, epoch-making | 1969 was a momentous year for space travel. |
| having serious effects | consequential, far-reaching, serious, weighty | The ruling will have far-reaching effects on online privacy. |
| large in amount or degree | considerable, substantial, sizeable, appreciable | The repairs will cost a considerable sum. |
| large enough to notice (of a change) | marked, noticeable, sharp, dramatic, pronounced | There has been a marked improvement in her spelling. |
| carrying a hidden meaning | meaningful, telling, pointed, knowing, eloquent | He gave her a knowing look across the table. |
| a romantic partner | partner, other half, spouse | Guests are welcome to bring their partners. |
When significant means important
This is the sense in “a significant figure in modern art” or “a significant day for the club”. The choice comes down to how important, and in what way.
- Important is the plain, all-purpose choice. It is rarely wrong, just less precise. This is an important change to the tax rules.
- Major stresses size and rank among other things of the same kind. Rising rents are a major concern for students.
- Key means central to how something works. It sits before the noun: a key witness, a key factor. “The witness was key” is common in speech but less formal.
- Notable and noteworthy mean worth mentioning or remembering. The film is notable for its use of real locations. Noteworthy is a little more formal.
- Prominent is for people and things that are well known or easy to see. She became a prominent voice in the campaign.
- Meaningful suggests real value rather than just size: meaningful progress, a meaningful conversation.
For events that change things
- Momentous: of great importance for the future. The vote was a momentous decision for the country.
- Historic: important in history, or likely to be remembered. a historic agreement. Do not confuse it with historical, which means “connected with the past” (historical records).
- Landmark: marking a turning point, often used of court cases, laws and studies. a landmark ruling.
- Pivotal: the point on which everything turns. The third chapter is pivotal to the plot.
- Epoch-making: very strong, and best kept for things that truly start a new era, such as the printing press.
For things with serious effects
- Consequential: having important results. It was the most consequential election in a generation.
- Far-reaching: affecting many people or areas. far-reaching reforms.
- Serious and weighty: needing careful thought. a weighty question, serious consequences.
When significant means large
In “a significant amount of money” or “a significant rise in prices”, significant means big enough to matter. Several words do this job more vividly.
- Considerable: fairly large. The project took considerable effort. A safe swap in almost any sentence about quantity.
- Substantial: large and solid, often about money, meals or evidence. a substantial pay rise, substantial evidence.
- Sizeable (also spelled sizable): fairly large, a little informal. a sizeable crowd.
- Appreciable: large enough to notice or measure, but not huge. There was no appreciable difference between the two groups.
- Hefty (informal): large and often unwelcome, especially for bills and fines. a hefty parking fine.
For changes and differences
When the noun is a change (rise, fall, drop, increase, improvement), these words describe how visible or fast it was:
- Marked: clear and easy to notice. a marked decline in attendance.
- Noticeable: easy to see, but not necessarily large. a noticeable change in tone.
- Sharp: sudden and large. a sharp drop in temperature.
- Dramatic: sudden, large and striking. a dramatic increase in sales. Save it for real jumps; overused, it sounds like a headline.
- Pronounced: very noticeable, often of a feature or accent. a pronounced limp, a pronounced Scottish accent.
When significant means full of meaning
A “significant look” or a “significant pause” carries a message nobody says aloud. Here significant is close to signal, the word it is related to: both go back to Latin signum, a sign.
- Meaningful: the closest everyday match. They exchanged a meaningful glance.
- Telling: revealing something the speaker did not intend. His silence when she asked about the money was telling.
- Pointed: aimed at someone, often critical. a pointed remark about people who arrive late.
- Knowing: showing that you understand a secret. a knowing smile.
- Eloquent: expressing a feeling clearly without words. an eloquent silence.
- Suggestive: hinting at something. Be careful: it often implies something sexual (suggestive jokes), so prefer telling in neutral writing.
Statistically significant: do not swap it
In research writing, significant usually means statistically significant: the result is unlikely to be explained by chance alone, judged against a threshold the researchers chose. It does not mean the effect is large or important. A drug can lower blood pressure by a tiny, statistically significant amount that makes no practical difference to patients.
Two consequences for writers:
- In a scientific or academic paper, do not replace significant with important, considerable or major. You would be changing the claim.
- If you mean “large” or “important” in a paper that also reports statistics, avoid significant altogether and use substantial, considerable or important, so readers do not mistake an everyday word for a statistical one.
Significant other
Significant other means a romantic partner, whether married or not. It is neutral and a little playful. Alternatives: partner (neutral, the usual choice on forms and invitations), other half (informal and affectionate), spouse (married, formal), boyfriend, girlfriend. “Please bring your partner” is clearer on a work invitation than “your significant other”.
Opposites of significant
| Sense | Opposites | Example |
|---|---|---|
| important | insignificant, minor, trivial, unimportant, peripheral | It was a minor mistake and easy to fix. |
| large in amount | negligible, slight, small, marginal, modest | The difference in price is negligible. |
| full of meaning | meaningless, empty, blank | She gave him a blank look. |
| statistics | not statistically significant, non-significant | The difference between the groups was not statistically significant. |
Common mistakes
| Avoid | Why | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| a significative change | Significative is a word-for-word carry-over from French, Spanish or Portuguese; it is not used in modern English. | a significant change |
| an unsignificant detail | The negative is insignificant. | an insignificant detail |
| a very momentous decision | Momentous already means very important; “very” weakens it. | a momentous decision |
| a historical win for the team | Historical means “about the past”; a win that will be remembered is historic. | a historic win |
| significant, significant, significant (three times in one paragraph) | The word is common in essays and reports, and repeating it flattens every point to the same level. | Say what kind: a sharp rise, a key reason, a lasting effect. |
| The results were significant. (in a paper, meaning “large”) | Readers will assume statistical significance. | The effect was substantial. |
A related habit: significantly often stands in for “a lot”. “Prices rose significantly” is fine, but “prices rose by 40% in a year” tells the reader more. A number, where you have one, usually beats any adjective.
Before and after
Here is a short report paragraph that leans on one word, followed by a version that picks a word for each job.
Before: The new timetable had a significant effect on the school. Attendance showed a significant rise, and teachers noted significant changes in punctuality. Parents saw it as a significant moment.
After: The new timetable had a far-reaching effect on the school. Attendance rose sharply, and teachers noticed a marked improvement in punctuality. Parents saw it as a turning point.
Nothing in the second version is fancier. Each word simply says more: far-reaching tells us the effect spread, sharply that the rise was quick, marked that the change was easy to see.
Practice
Choose the best replacement for significant in each sentence.
- The storm caused significant damage to the harbour. (major / telling / knowing)
- When I mentioned the missing keys, there was a significant pause. (substantial / telling / sizeable)
- The court’s decision was significant because it changed the law for every state. (landmark / hefty / pointed)
- There was a significant drop in temperature overnight. (sharp / knowing / historic)
- A study reports that the difference between the two groups was significant (p < 0.05). Should you change the word to “large”?
- Fix the mistake: “It was a very significative moment in her career.”
Answers: 1. major (or considerable, substantial). 2. telling. 3. landmark. 4. sharp. 5. No: the study reports statistical significance, which is not the same as a large difference. 6. “It was a significant moment in her career”, or, for more force, “a turning point in her career”.
Quick answers
What is a more formal word for significant?
Substantial, considerable and consequential are the most formal. For importance in history, use momentous or landmark.
What is a simpler word for significant?
Big, important or major, depending on whether you mean size or importance.
Is “significant” the same as “important”?
Often, but not always. Significant can also mean large in amount (“a significant sum”) or full of meaning (“a significant look”), and in research it means statistically significant. Important covers only the first idea.
What is another word for “significant impact”?
Try a major impact, a far-reaching effect, a profound effect or a lasting impact, depending on whether you mean size, reach, depth or how long it lasts.
What is another word for “significantly”?
Considerably, substantially, markedly, sharply or noticeably. In research writing, keep significantly only for statistical results.
For other common words with sharper alternatives, see another word for important, another word for relevant, another word for influence and another word for overall. For figures of speech and how writers give an idea weight, start with the figurative language guide.