# significance

Pronunciation: say "sig-NIF-i-kuhns" /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəns/

## Noun

1. The degree to which something matters or carries importance.
   - Simple: How important something is, or how much it matters.
   - _Historians have long debated the significance of that single treaty._
   - _She downplayed the significance of her own contribution to the project._
2. The meaning carried by something; what it expresses or stands for.
   - Simple: The meaning or message behind something.
   - _Scholars still argue over the significance of the ancient symbols on the tomb._
   - _She patiently explained the significance of the gesture within their culture._

## Origin

Inherited from Middle English significaunce, which came through Middle and Old French significance from Latin significantia. It is a doublet of signifiance.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/significance (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).