significant English · revision 2654

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1566|origins=la significāre}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /sɪɡˈnɪf.ɪ.kənt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la|significāns|t=indicating, meaning]] (stem significant-), the present participle of [[m|la|significāre|t=to make known, indicate, signify]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart treats it as formed in English as the adjective to [[significance]], on the Latin model.^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[signify]] and [[sign]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(AHD 2000) Earlier English had significative, and significate “indicated”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ “Having or conveying a meaning”: 1566 according to Merriam-Webster,^(MWU 2024) 1579 according to Barnhart and the OED,^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) or the 1570s.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ “Serving as a sign or indication” is from the 1590s.^(Etymonline) Things that conveyed a special or secret meaning led to the sense “important, weighty, notable”, before 1761.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) The ''significant figure'' of science is from the 1680s (1690).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) In statistics a result is significant when it is too closely correlated to be put down to chance.^(AHD) ''Significant form'', in aesthetics, is from 1914.^(OED 1989) ''Significant other'' is attested by 1961, in psychology.^(Etymonline) ''Significance'', the meaning of something, is from before 1400.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1400 – ''significance''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1566 – meaningful.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1590s – serving as a sign.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1690 – significant figures.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 1761 – important.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1914 – significant form.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1961 – ''significant other''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Important or large enough to have an effect: ''a significant change''.^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # Fairly large in amount: ''a significant sum''.^(AHD)

+ # Having a meaning, especially a hidden one; [[meaningful]]: ''a significant look''.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(statistics)'' Too closely related to be the result of [[chance]].^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[significantly]]

+ * [[unsignificant]]

+ * [[nonsignificant]]

+ * [[significant digit]]

+ * [[significant other]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[significance]]

+ * [[signify]]

+ * [[sign]]

+ * [[signal]]

+ * [[insignificant]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}