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Profound vs Significant - What's the difference?

profound | significant |

As adjectives the difference between profound and significant

is that profound is descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep while significant is signifying something; carrying meaning.

As nouns the difference between profound and significant

is that profound is (obsolete) the deep; the sea; the ocean while significant is that which has significance; a sign; a token; a symbol.

As a verb profound

is (obsolete) to cause to sink deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down.

profound

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
  • * (rfdate),
    • A gulf profound
  • Very deep; very serious
  • Intellectually deep; entering far into subjects; reaching to the bottom of a matter, or of a branch of learning; thorough; as, a profound investigation or treatise; a profound scholar; profound wisdom.
  • *
  • Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading; overmastering; far-reaching; strongly impressed; as, a profound sleep.
  • * (rfdate),
    • Profound sciatica
  • * (rfdate),
    • Of the profound corruption of this class there can be no doubt.
  • Bending low, exhibiting or expressing deep humility; lowly; submissive; as, a profound bow.
  • * (rfdate)
    • What humble gestures! What profound reverence!

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) The deep; the sea; the ocean.
    • God in the fathomless profound / Hath all this choice commanders drowned. Sandys .
  • (obsolete) An abyss.
    • (Milton)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To cause to sink deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down.
    • (Sir Thomas Browne)
  • (obsolete) To dive deeply; to penetrate.

    • Related terms

    * profundity * profoundness ----

    significant

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Signifying something; carrying meaning.
    • a significant''' word or sound; a '''significant look
  • * Sir Walter Raleigh
    • It was well said of Plotinus, that the stars were significant , but not efficient.
  • Having a covert or hidden meaning.
  • Having a noticeable or major effect; notable.
    • That was a significant step in the right direction.
    The First World War was a significant event.
  • Reasonably large in number or amount.
  • (statistics) Having a low probability of occurring by chance (for example, having high correlation and thus likely to be related).

    • Related terms

    * significance * significant other * signify

    Synonyms

    * important

    Antonyms

    * insignificant * ignorable * negligible * slight

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That which has significance; a sign; a token; a symbol.
    • (Wordsworth)
  • * Shakespeare
    • In dumb significants proclaim your thoughts.
    (Webster 1913) ----