The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
Ideas about the social significance of religion have changed over time. [+ of]
A sacred site might be a mountain that is of some significance to a tribe.
Synonyms: importance, import [formal], consequence, matter More Synonyms of significance
More Synonyms of significance
significance in British English
(sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns)
noun
1.
consequence or importance
2.
something signified, expressed, or intended
3.
the state or quality of being significant
4. statistics
a.
a measure of the confidence that can be placed in a result, esp a substantive causal hypothesis, as not being merely a matter of chance
b.
(as modifier)
a significance level
Compare confidence level, See also hypothesis testing
significance in American English
(sɪgˈnɪfəkəns)
noun
1.
that which is signified; meaning
2.
the quality of being significant; suggestiveness; expressiveness
3.
importance; consequence; moment
Also sigˈnificancy
SIMILAR WORDS: imˈportance
Word origin
LME < L significantia < significans: see significant
COBUILD Collocations
significance
eternal significance
historical significance
particular significance
special significance
Examples of 'significance' in a sentence
significance
This has great significance for the pastor.
Christianity Today (2000)
It was then we knew the significance of the name on the windowsill.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
What the law should be doing is upholding and recognising the significance and importance of marriage.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
What is the global significance of religion today?
Appelbaum, Richard P. Sociology (1995)
The significance of the result can be found in numerous statistical indicators.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
His pictures capture outré but innocent moments in social history that magically accrue significance as time passes.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This is a fact of considerable significance.
Divine, Robert A. (editor) & Breen, T. H & Frederickson, George M & Williams, R. Hal America Past and Present (1995)
That will not have any significance on the result this year.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It was hard to assess which result carried most significance.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But these facts had little significance until others began to appear.
But the size of the study was such that this result reaches statistical significance only narrowly.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It spoke of "carrying through work that has also an obvious social significance '.
Susie Gilbert and Jay Shir A TALE OF FOUR HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since1945 (2003)
We're not sure of the significance of the name.
The Sun (2013)
In this respect it accords a very limited role to the significance of social structure or social relations for actors and their actions.
Hindess, Barry Choice, Rationality, and Social Theory (1988)
It took time for the significance of what Wales had done to sink in.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It wasn't of great significance until a few years after.
The Sun (2010)
For years the name 's significance was restricted to an exclusive circle.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Does your own name have special significance, special associations?
Goshgarian, Gary Exploring language (6th edn) (1995)
The post-industrial revolution period was one of those great historical periods in which ideas took on social significance.
Henry, John F The Making of Neoclassical Economics (1990)
That is due first and foremost to the great respect shown in England toward the significance of religion in solving social problems.
Michael Burleigh Earthly Powers: Religion and Politics in Europe from the Enlightenment to the GreatWar (2005)
Instead, the real significance of this time of year for most is having time off work to spend with friends and family.
The Sun (2012)
He said: 'When there are two games of this significance and importance we should kick off at the same time.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
significance
British English: significance /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/ NOUN
The significance of something is its importance.
The President's visit has great symbolic significance.
American English: significance
Arabic: أَهَمِّيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: significância
Chinese: 意义
Croatian: značaj
Czech: význam
Danish: vigtighed
Dutch: betekenis waarde
European Spanish: relevancia
Finnish: merkitys
French: signification importance
German: Bedeutung
Greek: σπουδαιότητα
Italian: significato
Japanese: 重要性
Korean: 중요성
Norwegian: betydning
Polish: znaczenie waga
European Portuguese: significado
Romanian: însemnătate
Russian: значимость
Latin American Spanish: relevancia
Swedish: betydelse
Thai: ความสำคัญ
Turkish: önem
Ukrainian: значущість
Vietnamese: tầm quan trọng
All related terms of 'significance'
significance test
(in hypothesis testing ) a test of whether the alternative hypothesis achieves the predetermined significance level in order to be accepted in preference to the null hypothesis
eternal significance
The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
special significance
The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
historical significance
The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
particular significance
The significance of something is the importance that it has, usually because it will have an effect on a situation or shows something about a situation.
range of significance
the set of subjects for which a given predicate is intelligible
Chinese translation of 'significance'
significance
(sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns)
n(u)
重要性 (zhòngyàoxìng)
of no/some significance毫无(無)/有一定重要意义(義) (háo wú/yǒu yīdìng zhòngyào yìyì)
1 (noun)
Definition
the effect something is likely to have on other things
ideas about the social significance of religion
Synonyms
importance
Safety is of paramount importance.
import (formal)
Such arguments are of little import.
consequence
This question is of little consequence.
matter
Forget it; it's of no matter.
moment
I was glad I had nothing of great moment to do that afternoon.
weight
That argument no longer carries much weight.
consideration
gravity
You don't seem to appreciate the gravity of this situation.
relevance
magnitude
An operation of this magnitude is going to be difficult.
seriousness
the seriousness of the crisis
impressiveness
noteworthiness
2 (noun)
Definition
meaning
Synonyms
meaning
I became more aware of the symbols and their meanings.
point
You have missed the main point of my argument.
force
He changed our world through the force of his ideas.
sense
a noun which has two senses
message
The report's message was unequivocal.
import
I have already spoken about the import of his speech.
implication(s)
purport
The purport of his speech was obvious.
signification
Additional synonyms
in the sense of consequence
Definition
significance or importance
This question is of little consequence.
Synonyms
importance,
interest,
concern,
moment,
value,
account,
note,
weight,
import (formal),
significance,
portent
in the sense of force
Definition
intellectual or moral influence
He changed our world through the force of his ideas.
Synonyms
influence,
power,
effect,
authority,
weight,
strength,
punch (informal),
significance,
effectiveness,
validity,
efficacy,
soundness,
persuasiveness,
cogency,
bite
in the sense of gravity
Definition
seriousness or importance
You don't seem to appreciate the gravity of this situation.
Synonyms
seriousness,
importance,
consequence,
significance,
urgency,
severity,
acuteness,
moment,
weightiness,
momentousness,
perilousness,
hazardousness
Synonyms of 'significance'
significance
Explore 'significance' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of import
Definition
importance
Such arguments are of little import.
Synonyms
significance,
concern,
value,
worth,
weight,
consequence,
substance,
moment,
magnitude,
usefulness,
momentousness
in the sense of import
Definition
meaning
I have already spoken about the import of his speech.
Synonyms
meaning,
implication,
significance,
sense,
message,
bearing,
intention,
explanation,
substance,
drift,
interpretation,
thrust,
purport,
upshot,
gist,
signification
in the sense of magnitude
Definition
relative importance
An operation of this magnitude is going to be difficult.
Synonyms
importance,
consequence,
significance,
mark,
moment,
note,
weight,
proportion,
dimension,
greatness,
grandeur,
eminence
in the sense of matter
Forget it; it's of no matter.
Synonyms
importance,
interest,
moment,
note,
weight,
import (formal),
consequence,
significance
in the sense of message
Definition
an implicit meaning or moral, as in a work of art
The report's message was unequivocal.
Synonyms
point,
meaning,
idea,
moral,
theme,
import,
purport,
MSG
in the sense of moment
Definition
importance, significance, or value
I was glad I had nothing of great moment to do that afternoon.