significativo

Significativo is a Spanish adjective used to express that something has meaning, importance, or relevance. It can refer to a message, gesture, or event that conveys significance, as well as to things that are noteworthy or substantial in a given context. In statistics and research, the term is used in the phrase estadísticamente significativo to indicate that a result is unlikely to have occurred by chance.

Etymology and forms: the word derives from Latin significativus, from significare “to signify, to indicate.” It agrees in gender and number: significativo (masc. sing.), significativa (fem. sing.), significativos (masc. pl.), significativas (fem. pl.). The adverbial form is significativamente. The related noun meaning is significado, which denotes “meaning” or “significance,” while significativo describes the attribute of having significance.

Usage notes: in everyday language, significativo can describe anything with notable importance or expressiveness, such as a “señal significativa” or a “diferencia significativa.” In scientific writing, it is paired with estadísticamente to indicate statistical relevance. The term is sometimes used more broadly in colloquial speech to imply practical importance, but precision may require specifying the measure, effect size, or context.

Synonyms and contrasts: synonyms include notable, relevante, importante, meaningful. An antonym is insignificante, describing something with little or no significance.

See also: significado, relevancia, importancia, estadística.