sigˈnifə̇kən(t)s, -fēk- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English significaunce, from Latin significantia, from significant-, significans + -ia -y
1.
a. : something signified : import , meaning , bearing
a familiar sight enough though it broke upon her now with a new significance — Thomas Hardy
having cosmic significances, which I never suspected, extracted from my work — T.S.Eliot
apt to read significance into every casual remark
b. : the quality of conveying or implying : suggestiveness
the young gentleman uttered this exultant sound with mysterious significance — Charles Dickens
2.
a. : the quality of being important : consequence , moment
knack for discovering the ordinary and investing it with warmth and significance — Arthur Knight
the industrial significance of coal
b. : the quality of being statistically significant
Synonyms: see importance