imperceptible

[im-per-sep-tuh-buhl]

See more synonyms for imperceptible on Thesaurus.com

adjective

very slight, gradual, or subtle: the imperceptible slope of the road.
not perceptible; not perceived by or affecting the senses.

noun

something not capable of being perceived by the senses: metaphysical speculation about imperceptibles.

Origin of imperceptible

From the Medieval Latin word imperceptibilis, dating back to 1520–30. See im-², perceptible

Related formsim·per·cep·ti·bil·i·ty, im·per·cep·ti·ble·ness, nounim·per·cep·ti·bly, adverb

Synonyms for imperceptible

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2. hidden, unperceivable, undetectable.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for imperceptibly

gradually, hardly, scarcely

Examples from the Web for imperceptibly

Contemporary Examples of imperceptibly

The sun, I notice on this day when Daylight Saving has reverted to Standard Time, has imperceptibly set.
Barack and the Boss
Charles Michener
November 3, 2008

Historical Examples of imperceptibly

Steadily, imperceptibly, and surely, until it was paramount and supreme.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens
I had seen it, the slight puff of the earlobes—oh, so imperceptibly slight.
The House of Pride
Jack London
Imperceptibly, Helen straightened herself and took a breath.
Moor Fires
E. H. (Emily Hilda) Young
Slowly, imperceptibly, the orientation of the planet has changed.
The Life Radiant
Lilian Whiting
He drifted away from Miriam imperceptibly, without knowing he was going.
Sons and Lovers
David Herbert Lawrence

British Dictionary definitions for imperceptibly

imperceptible

adjective

too slight, subtle, gradual, etc, to be perceived

Derived Formsimperceptibility or imperceptibleness, nounimperceptibly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for imperceptibly

imperceptible

adj.

early 15c., from French imperceptible (early 15c.), from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + perceptibilis (see perceptible). Related: Imperceptibly. OED marks imperceivable as "Now rare."