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
Derived 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.
He also said he had a discussion in 2011 with Epstein about scaffolding, which he called "meaningless and inconsequential".
From BBC • May 14, 2026
And, as usual, whatever he says afterward is inconsequential and often irrelevant to the action he has already taken.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 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
Saving a few hundred bucks may seem inconsequential to an American couple with an average monthly budget of $7,400.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026
What I meant to say is that when I was a girl in Blundermeecen, I sat on this sofa and spoke with my grandmother about inconsequential things well into the gloom of the evening.
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
