inconsequential
Americanadjective
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not following logically as a consequence
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trivial or insignificant
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not in a logical sequence; haphazard
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inconsequential
First recorded in 1615–25; in- 3 + consequential
Explanation
If something is considered of little worth or importance, it is inconsequential. If astronomers forecast a tremendous meteor shower, it might turn out to be no more than space junk, too inconsequential to record. You can use the adjective inconsequential to describe things that just don’t matter or are of no relevance, as in "the rainy forecast is totally inconsequential — the bowling tournament is inside!" It also describes things that don't make sense in a certain order, "trying to win their votes is inconsequential: the election's over." Something small or minor can be inconsequential too, though the red bump on your nose on picture-day may not seem as inconsequential to you as it does to the photographer.
Vocabulary lists containing inconsequential
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Latin Love, Vol III: seguire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And, as usual, whatever he says afterward is inconsequential and often irrelevant to the action he has already taken.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
He takes his time absorbing every seemingly inconsequential detail as he becomes attached to the personalities of eccentrics on their self-assigned quests to accomplish unlikely goals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
Computing expert and AI safety campaigner Stuart Russell told AFP that Saturday's commitments were "not completely inconsequential".
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
On the drive, she filled the silence with inconsequential chatter, as if nothing had changed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026
Silly and inconsequential as all of this was, drawing had always been a tempering balm.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
