Important vs Significant

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Important

Top 1,000 (very common) A1 adjective

Significant

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 adjective

	Important	Significant
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ɪmˈpɔːtnt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɪmˈpɔːrtnt/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/
Meaning	Something that matters a lot.	Important or meaning a lot.
Example	It's important to drink enough water every day.	The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	A1	B2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	be, seem, sound, extremely, fairly, very, for, to, be, seem, sound, extremely, fairly, very, for, to	be, prove, become, extremely, fairly, very, for, to
Antonyms	unimportant, trivial, insignificant	insignificant, trivial, minor
Common mistakes	Confusing with 'unimportant'—'not important' is the opposite., Using with nouns incorrectly—'important' only describes nouns, not verbs., Overusing—try varying language with synonyms to improve vocabulary.	Confusing 'significant' with 'significance'., Using 'significant' as a noun instead of an adjective., Overusing 'significant' in casual speaking.
Usage notes	Use 'important' for things that have significance or impact. It's appropriate in formal and informal contexts, but in very casual conversation, words like 'big deal' might be more appropriate.	Used in academic and formal contexts to indicate importance. Avoid in very casual conversations; instead, use simpler words like 'big' or 'important'.

See it in real clips

House Of Cards › S1 E1

This is more important.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

I stop to see what the trouble is, and this is the important part...

Chernobyl › S1 E1

Whatever the cause, it's important neither you nor...

House Of Cards › S1 E1

This is more important.

Better Call Saul › S1 E1

I stop to see what the trouble is, and this is the important part...

Important

But of all these anomalies, the most significant is this:

But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God.

But of all these anomalies, the most significant is this:

But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God.

Significant

Frequently asked questions: Important vs Significant

What's the difference between Important and Significant?

Important: Something that matters a lot. Significant: Important or meaning a lot.

Which is more advanced: Important and Significant?

Significant is the highest level, at B2, on the CEFR scale.

Are Important and Significant the same CEFR level?

Important: A1, Significant: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Important and Significant?

Important: adjective, Significant: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Important: It's important to drink enough water every day. Significant: The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.

Can I use Important and Significant interchangeably?

Not always. Important and Significant are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.