beduidend

Beduidend is a Dutch adjective meaning that something has meaning, importance, or significance. It is used to describe anything whose impact, size, or effect is noticeable enough to warrant attention. In everyday language it can refer to differences, results, or conclusions that are non-trivial or meaningful. In scientific or statistical contexts, beduidend often translates to “significant,” as in statements about results that are unlikely to be due to chance at a given level of probability.

Etymology and nuance: beduidend is formed from the verb duiden, meaning to indicate or point out, with the prefix be-, which intensifies the sense. The word is closely related to German bedeutend, which has a similar meaning. Beduidend carries a sense of practical or substantive importance rather than mere cosmetic or incidental value. It is stronger than synonyms like opvallend (notable) but not as absolute as words for absolute truth.

Usage and examples: you can speak of een beduidend verschil (a substantial/meaningful difference), een beduidende invloed (a significant influence), or een beduidende stap vooruit (a meaningful step forward). In statistics, one often says statistisch beduidend, meaning that results meet a predefined criterion for significance.

Related terms: aanzienlijk, betekenisvol, belangrijk; onbeduidend as the opposite. In technical contexts, beduidend translates to “significant,” while in general language it emphasizes meaningfulness or importance.