Important or large enough to be noticed.
ExampleThere is a significant difference between the two pictures.
ExampleA significant reason is that online classes save travel time.
Usage Scenarios
Comparing two things
Use significant when the contrast changes how you would describe the image, situation, or opinion.
ExampleA significant contrast is that the first room looks crowded, while the second one feels organized.
Giving a reason quickly
Use it before reason or advantage when you need a compact sentence in a timed response.
ExampleA significant advantage of online learning is that students can review lessons at their own pace.
Usage Guide
Use significant when something is important enough to affect the answer. In the Duolingo English Test, it is especially helpful for picture descriptions, short writing, and speaking responses because it lets you identify a detail that matters without using very long wording.
Significant can describe a difference, change, reason, advantage, problem, effect, or improvement. These nouns make the word concrete. A sentence like this is significant is weaker than there is a significant difference between the two rooms because the second sentence tells the listener exactly what matters.
The word has two common strengths: important and large enough to notice. In test answers, both meanings often overlap. A significant change is usually both noticeable and worth mentioning.
Word Forms & Word Building
Significant is built from sign + -fic + -ant. The root sign points to meaning or indication; -fic is connected with making or doing; -ant forms an adjective. A significant detail is a detail that makes meaning visible.
Significant is the adjective. It usually sits before a noun: a significant reason, a significant change, or a significant difference.
Significance is the noun. It is useful when you want to talk about importance itself: the significance of this result is clear. This form is more formal and usually fits writing better than quick speaking.
Significantly is the adverb. It often describes change: the number increased significantly, or the second option is significantly cheaper. In short DET answers, use it only when the comparison is clear.
Meaning Boundaries
Significant vs important
Important is broad and works in many everyday situations. Significant is more analytical: it often points to a difference, change, result, or reason that affects interpretation.
Significant vs substantial
Significant focuses on meaning or importance; substantial focuses on size or amount. A small change can be statistically or socially significant without being substantial.
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Significant is safe in formal writing and test responses, but it can sound stiff in very casual speech. For quick spoken answers, use it when you can name exactly what is significant.
Technical meaning
In research writing, significant can mean statistically significant. In DET answers, you usually mean noticeable or important, not a formal statistical result.
Memory Tricks
Link significant to sign: the word points to the part of your answer that carries meaning. If nothing is being pointed out, the word may be unnecessary.
Practice with noun pairs: significant difference, significant reason, significant advantage, significant change. These pairs prevent the word from becoming a vague filler.
Before using it in a DET response, name the exact difference, reason, or effect. If you cannot name it, make the sentence more specific before adding significant.
Common Traps
Do not use significant as a vague filler. Name the thing that is significant: a difference, reason, change, result, or advantage.
Significant has four syllables and is easy to spell too quickly. Check the middle: sig-nif-i-cant, not signifcant or signifficant.
In short DET answers, avoid repeating significant several times. If the first sentence says significant difference, the next sentence can use clear, noticeable, important, or major depending on the meaning.