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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 Top "SAT" Words
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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.
Inconsequential wins and losses spread out for hours on end, my money gently oscillating with the tide.
From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025
Inconsequential as they were, untraumatized as I was, I was delighted to see him put away nonetheless, if only for a brief six months.
From The Guardian • Jan. 13, 2018
Like family genealogy, such an explanation would fall under Handsome’s Inconsequential and Boring Bits category.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Inconsequential lightnings flashed in the smoky vault, from every quarter of which rolled unrelated thunder.
From A Woman of Genius by Austin, Mary Hunter
Inconsequential though they may seem, there is a real coherence, and, too, a subtle connection with the whole design.
From Symphonies and Their Meaning; Third Series, Modern Symphonies by Goepp, Philip H.
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.
