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DictionarysignificantStatistical evidence
adjective

significant

Meeting a statistical threshold for evidence against a chance explanation.

The difference between the two groups is statistically significant.

Etymology
significLatinto indicate or mean
+antEnglishhaving a specified quality

The older adjective means indicating something. Statistics assigns it a formal evidential role when a result meets a chosen threshold under a chance model.

More examples

  • The result is significant at the five percent level.
  • A statistically significant effect can still be too small to matter.
  • After adjustment for multiple comparisons, the association is no longer significant.

Forms

significant

significance noun — The status of meeting a statistical threshold.

significantly adverb — To a degree meeting a statistical threshold.