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Prepositions after adjectives

Significant in vs significant for

Significant in refers to importance within an area or process. Significant for refers to importance for a person, result, or purpose.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows significant?

Use significant in when talking about a field, process, or context. Use significant for when explaining why something matters to people, goals, or outcomes.

She played a significant in role in the negotiations.
The change was significant for small businesses.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
significant in + field or process

Importance within a context

In introduces the area where something matters.

The discovery was significant in medical research.
2
significant for + person or result

Importance for someone or something

For introduces the affected group or outcome.

The ruling is significant for consumers.
3
significant to + person

Personal importance

To often expresses emotional or personal importance.

The date is significant to my family.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
significant in
She was significant in shaping policy.
Important within an activity or process.
significant for
The reform was significant for farmers.
Important for a group or outcome.
significant to
The painting is significant to him.
Personally meaningful.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using in for affected people

Use for when naming beneficiaries or affected groups.

✕ The law was significant in drivers. ✓ The law was significant for drivers.

Missing the noun after significant

Significant usually needs a clear context.

✓ The change was significant for the industry.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The event was significant ___ modern history.
2. The decision is significant ___ young workers.
3. This tradition is significant ___ our community.

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Frequently asked questions

Can significant in and significant for both be correct?

Sometimes, but they focus on different relationships: context versus impact.

Is significant to common?

Yes. It often expresses personal meaning or value.

Can significant be followed by a clause?

Yes, especially with that, as in It is significant that...

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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