Znaczny

Znaczny is a Polish adjective meaning considerable, significant, or notable in size, amount, or impact. It is used to describe something that is larger or more important than usual, without implying absolute extremity. The term can refer to quantitative measures (znaczny wzrost, znaczny udział), as well as to qualitative significance (znaczny wpływ, znaczne znaczenie).

Etymology and nuance: znaczny derives from the verb znaczyć, “to signify or denote,” and expresses that something has notable significance or scale. It is somewhat more neutral than highly evaluative terms, straddling the line between measurable magnitude and perceived importance. In some contexts, another synonym such as istotny highlights relevance or essential character more than sheer size, while znaczący is closer in everyday use to znaczny.

Usage and collocations: znaczny commonly precedes nouns in phrases such as znaczny udział, znaczny koszt, znaczny postęp, or znaczny wpływ. It changes form to agree with the noun’s gender, number, and case (e.g., znaczna część, znaczne zmiany, znacznym kosztem). The word is frequent in journalism, economics, and academic writing, where it signals a measurable or meaningful degree without asserting absolute magnitude.

Antonyms and related terms: nieznaczny (insignificant), mały (small), minimalny (minimal), and nieistotny (unimportant) are common counterpoints; synonyms or near-synonyms include znaczący and istotny, which carry slight shifts in emphasis toward significance or relevance.

See also: znaczący, istotny, nieznaczny.