inconsequential
Americanadjective
-
not following logically as a consequence
-
trivial or insignificant
-
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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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.
"The results are somewhat inconsequential because I knew I wouldn't need the bar in China," she said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The attacks were inconsequential in one sense—there were no reports of contaminated water, though some systems suffered pressure drops and issued precautionary boil-water advisories.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
Never mind the United States’ 3-2 loss in their final World Cup Group D match; the result was inconsequential.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
"We were all aware that we weren't being knighted or accepting a peerage. We all knew that the right we stood to gain was fairly inconsequential as inherited birthrights go."
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
It all looked so small and inconsequential, just like he felt.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
