significativo

seeg-nee-fee-kah-TEE-boh/siɣnifikaˈtiβo/

“significativo” means “significant” in Spanish (describing size, amount, or importance).

significant, meaningful

Also: expressive, telling

AdjectivemB1

A giant, bright red apple sitting next to a tiny green grape to show a significant difference in size.

📝 In Action

Hubo un aumento significativo en las ventas este mes.

There was a significant increase in sales this month.

Recibir esa carta fue muy significativo para mi abuela.

Receiving that letter was very meaningful for my grandmother.

Ella me lanzó una mirada significativa y entendí que debíamos irnos.

She gave me a telling look and I understood we had to leave.

Word Connections

Synonyms

importante (important)
relevante (relevant)
decisivo (decisive)

Antonyms

insignificante (insignificant)
irrelevante (irrelevant)

Common Collocations

cambio significativo – significant change
aumento significativo – significant increase
gesto significativo – meaningful gesture

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "significativo" in Spanish:

expressive→meaningful→significant→telling→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: significativo

Question 1 of 3

Which is the correct way to say 'a significant improvement'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼

significar(to mean / to signify) — Verb

significado(meaning) — Noun

significación(significance / importance) — Noun

🎵 Rhymes▼

educativo objetivo creativo

📚 Etymology▼

From Latin 'significativus', which combines 'signum' (a sign) and 'facere' (to make). It literally means something that 'makes a sign' or points to a meaning.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: significantItalian: significativoFrench: significatif

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'significativo' more formal than 'importante'?

Yes, it is slightly more formal and precise. It implies that something is not just 'big' or 'good,' but that it has a clear meaning or impact.

Do I pronounce the 'g' in the middle?

Yes, but softly. It sounds like the 'g' in 'dog' followed by an 'n', but try not to pause between the letters.

When should I use 'significante' instead?

Almost never. 'Significante' is a special term used by experts who study language (linguists) to mean 'the sound of a word.' For everyday conversation, always use 'significativo'.