insignificant
Americanadjective
-
unimportant, trifling, or petty.
Omit the insignificant details.
-
too small to be important.
an insignificant sum.
-
of no consequence, influence, or distinction.
a minor, insignificant bureaucrat.
-
without weight of character; contemptible.
an insignificant fellow.
-
without meaning; meaningless.
insignificant sounds.
noun
adjective
-
having little or no importance; trifling
-
almost or relatively meaningless
-
small or inadequate
an insignificant wage
-
not distinctive in character, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insignificant
First recorded in 1620–30; in- 3 + significant
Explanation
When something is insignificant, it doesn't matter. The fact that your mom gets to school a half hour late becomes insignificant when she announces you're stopping for ice cream on the way home. The word signify, which is at the heart of insignificant, means "to mean." Significant means "meaningful." Add in- "not," and you have "not meaningful." A company can fire a worker from an insignificant job and still function. In a crisis, your feelings are insignificant; it is your actions that matter.
Vocabulary lists containing insignificant
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Alchemist
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Secret Life of Bees
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"Sometimes a tiny, seemingly insignificant cause is enough to trigger a huge and dramatic change," says Prof. Daniel Grumiller from TU Wien.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
“Q2 results showed a small and statistically insignificant difference in earnings growth between the companies quantifying AI productivity gains this quarter and other S&P 500 companies,” Goldman says.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“You’ve got China moving from being insignificant to being the world’s largest vehicle exporter in only a five-year period,” said Andreas Enger, chief executive of Norwegian car carrier Höegh Autoliners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Powell said the scheme would have cost a "not insignificant amount of money" but would also have diverted attention from the government's priorities.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Five Soviet spacecraft— Veneras 8 through 12—have landed on Venus and successfully returned data from the surface, no insignificant feat in so hot, dense and corrosive a planetary atmosphere.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
