Influential vs Significant

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

Influential

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adjective

Significant

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 adjective

Most common: Significant

	Influential	Significant
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/
Meaning	Having a lot of power to change things.	Important or meaning a lot.
Example	a highly influential book	The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	C1	B2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	be, prove, become, extremely, fairly, very, in	be, prove, become, extremely, fairly, very, for, to
Antonyms	insignificant, unimportant, powerless	insignificant, trivial, minor
Common mistakes	'Influential' is often confused with 'influent', which has a different meaning., Learners might forget to specify what is being influenced., Misplacement of 'influential' in a sentence, as in using it before the noun instead of after.	Confusing 'significant' with 'significance'., Using 'significant' as a noun instead of an adjective., Overusing 'significant' in casual speaking.
Usage notes	Use 'influential' to describe people or things that have a strong effect on others. It's suitable in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid using it in casual conversations unless discussing someone important.	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

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: Influential vs Significant

What's the difference between Influential and Significant?

Influential: Having a lot of power to change things. Significant: Important or meaning a lot.

Which is more common: Influential and Significant?

Significant is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Influential and Significant?

Influential is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Influential and Significant the same CEFR level?

Influential: C1, Significant: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Influential and Significant?

Influential: adjective, Significant: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Influential: a highly influential book Significant: The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.

Can I use Influential and Significant interchangeably?

Not always. Influential 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.