To a degree that is important, meaningful, or worthy of attention; in a way that has considerable impact or consequence. It indicates that something is statistically, practically, or conceptually important.
From Latin 'significare' meaning 'to make known by signs', combining 'signum' (sign) and 'facere' (to make). The English adverb developed in the 17th century from 'significant', originally meaning 'having meaning' but evolving to emphasize importance or substantial degree by the 19th century.
Significantly bridges the gap between statistics and everyday language - it's both a precise scientific term indicating measurable importance and a casual intensifier meaning 'a lot'. This dual nature makes it incredibly useful but sometimes ambiguous, as listeners must determine whether you mean 'statistically significant' or just 'quite a bit'.
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