Significant
/ˌsɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/noun
Important or meaningful; having a noticeable effect or meaning.
Did you know?Significant comes from Latin signum (“mark, sign, omen”), so the word’s deepest ancestry is tied to reading signs, symbols, and the hidden messages behind appearances.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sek-
“to cut”
Latin
Latin
signum
“a mark, token, sign, standard, omen”
Late Latin
Latin
significāre
“to make known, indicate, signify”
Old French
Old French
signifier
“to signify, mean, indicate”
Middle English
English
significant
“having meaning or import; expressive”
Modern English
English
significant
“important; notable; having a particular meaning or effect”