Significantly

How to spell significantly

13 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce significantly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does significantly mean?

1. adverbTo a large, noticeable, or important extent.
2. adverbIn a way that conveys a particular meaning or hints at something important.

Significantly in a sentence

• Sales rose significantly after the price was cut.

• He paused significantly before naming the chosen candidate.

• The new route is significantly faster than the old one.

• She glanced significantly at the empty chair across the table.

Where does significantly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb significare, meaning 'to make a sign' or 'to indicate', which was built from signum 'sign, mark, token' and facere 'to make or do'. From the participle stem came significant-, describing something that carries or conveys meaning, and this passed into English through French in the 1500s as the adjective 'significant'. The everyday adverb 'significantly' was then formed inside English by adding the native ending -ly. Over time the sense broadened from 'meaningful, full of import' to also cover 'to a large or notable degree', which is how it is most often used today. The spelling trap lives in the unstressed middle: the -fic- and the -ant ending (not -ent) both reflect those buried Latin roots, signum and facere, so picturing 'sign' plus 'make' helps anchor the letters.

How the word is built

• signi- (from signum: sign, mark)
• fic (from facere: to make)
• -ant (adjective ending)
• -ly (adverb ending)