Significantly
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/
Definitions
To a notably or considerably large extent or degree.
/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/
To a great or important degree
The new policy significantly improved employee morale.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're eating ice cream and it's *really* good. 'Significantly' is like saying it's much, much better than you expected. If a project improves significantly, it's like it got a HUGE upgrade!
👶 For kids: It means something is a *really* big deal or a *lot* more.
More Examples
The price of oil rose significantly due to increased demand.
The findings significantly challenged existing theories.
How It's Used
"The company's profits increased significantly this quarter."
"The results of the experiment were significantly different from the control group."
"Poverty rates have decreased significantly in the last decade."
From Middle English *significantly*, from Latin *significant-* (stem of *significans*, present participle of *significare* 'to signify, mean') + -ly.
Used since the early 16th century, it became more frequent during the scientific revolution and industrial age to describe measurable changes.
Memory tip
Think of 'sign' as a big marker. 'Significantly' means the effect is a BIG deal.