inconspicuous
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- inconspicuously adverb
- inconspicuousness noun
Etymology
Origin of inconspicuous
From the Latin word inconspicuus, dating back to 1615–25. See in- 3, conspicuous
Explanation
Inconspicuous describes something that doesn't stand out or attract attention. The bad news? You just got pizza sauce on your shirt. The good news? It landed in an inconspicuous spot, so no one will notice. Inconspicuous comes from the Latin word inconspicuus, or "not visible," and the original meaning of inconspicuous was "invisible," until around 1828. Today, it describes anything that blends in or isn't very noticeable. If you have ever tried to find your black luggage among all the other pieces of black luggage at the airport, you know that sometimes, being inconspicuous makes things harder.
Vocabulary lists containing inconspicuous
Speak
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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The Jungle
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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.
This regression is usually “incremental and often inconspicuous, spanning years or even decades,” the report’s authors write.
From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026
The trucks were set to arrive at inconspicuous locations near the airfields, such as gas stations, to release their cargo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025
Microsoft is set to profit from AI in two ways, Guggenheim said—one obvious and the other more inconspicuous.
From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025
Few people have heard of this inconspicuous part of northern Virginia, which also happens to be the wealthiest county in America.
From BBC • Oct. 25, 2025
She would just need to swim down the coastline and find a safe, inconspicuous place to sneak aground.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
