significantly

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "significantly" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize a comparison or contrast between two different things or ideas. Example sentence: Prices for our products have increased significantly over the past year.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Above all, you have to get consumers to accept significantly higher, and steadily rising, prices.

The Economist

I think it is significantly more than that".

The Guardian

The exploration licence encompassed an area including an Obeid property, Cherrydale Farm, which significantly increased in value when the tenement was issued.

The Guardian

Related: Graphene – six ways wonder material could improve world sustainability Perhaps most significantly, public policy around packaging has advanced at a snail's pace.

The Guardian

According to the report: "The size of the benefit to families with children from the new child-care package is, in any case, much smaller in magnitude than the cuts proposed in the 2014‐15 budget which will still clearly leave families at the bottom end of the income spectrum significantly worse off in absolute and percentage terms.

The Guardian

The Paris-based thinktank notes the budget deficit has been "significantly reduced since the peak of 2009, but at a slower pace recently notably as growth has been insufficiently tax-rich".

The Guardian - Business

This is important because the nearest record of a Dryas' monkey is 400km to the west, meaning, if confirmed, the discovery would significantly expand the range of a primate considered critically endangered.

The Guardian

The bank argued that he deserved a £2.25m bonus, because the latest round of banking regulation reform had added significantly to his workload.

The Guardian - Business

The breadth of the violence, along with the extent of official involvement, ​was​ significantly underestimated The killing did not end but was scaled back and conducted more covertly.

The Guardian

Although the demonstration in Lerwick on Saturday was organised by SNP activists, locals report that the mood against Carmichael extends significantly more widely across the islands, with more events planned for this week.

The Guardian

The Ugandan government claims that military operations against the rebel group had succeeded in significantly reducing its numbers and claims that such a small force would not have the capacity to make so many killings.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "significantly" to emphasize the importance or impact of a change, difference, or effect. For example, "The new policy significantly reduced pollution levels."

Common error

Avoid using "significantly" to describe minor or trivial changes, as this weakens its impact. Reserve it for situations where the effect is truly substantial.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "significantly" is to act as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to emphasize the degree or extent of an action or quality. Ludwig provides numerous examples demonstrating this usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "significantly" functions as an adverb to emphasize the degree or impact of an action or quality. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and frequently used across diverse contexts, especially in news, business, and scientific domains. While versatile, it should be reserved for truly substantial changes to avoid weakening its impact. Consider alternatives like "considerably" or "substantially" depending on the context to improve precision. Remember to always use "significantly" to add emphasis in cases you consider important in your written piece.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

substantially

Indicates a considerable amount or size.

considerably

Indicates a large amount or degree.

greatly

Emphasizes a large extent or degree.

noticeably

Emphasizes the ease with which something can be observed or detected.

markedly

Highlights a clear and easily noticeable difference or change.

appreciably

Highlights that something is large enough to be important or have an effect.

remarkably

Highlights how something is worthy of attention or surprise.

materially

Emphasizes the importance or relevance of something.

drastically

Suggests a sudden and extreme change.

distinctly

Indicates a clear and unmistakable difference.

FAQs

How can I use "significantly" in a sentence?

"Significantly" is an adverb that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, emphasizing a considerable degree or impact. For example: "The company's profits increased "significantly" this year."

What are some alternatives to the word "significantly"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "considerably", "substantially", "markedly", or "noticeably".

Is it correct to say "significantly better" or "significant better"?

The correct phrase is "significantly better" because "significantly" is an adverb modifying the adjective "better". The phrase "significant better" is grammatically incorrect.

What's the difference between "significantly" and "substantially"?

While both words indicate a considerable amount, "significantly" often emphasizes the importance or impact of something, whereas "substantially" emphasizes the size or amount. For example, "The project was "significantly" delayed" (impact), versus "The budget was "substantially" increased" (amount).