Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “significant” come from?

Significant comes from Latin significare, meaning to signify or make known, formed from Latin signum (sign) and Latin facio (to make or do), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- (to put or place).

significant (English): Signifying something; carrying meaning; Having a...

Definitions

  1. Signifying something; carrying meaning; Having a...

Ancestry of “significant”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsignificāre—
2Latinsignumvisible indication: sign, mark, signal; seal,...
3Proto-Italicseknom—
4Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

Words derived from “significant”

  • significantly
  • insignificant
  • nonsignificant
  • insignificantly
  • insignificancy
  • nonsignificantly
  • unsignificant
  • consignificant
  • szignifikáns
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek- →