insignificant

[in-sig-nif-i-kuhnt]

adjective

1. unimportant, trifling, or petty.

   Omit the insignificant details.

2. too small to be important.

   an insignificant sum.

   Synonyms: picayune, minuscule, minute, trifling

3. of no consequence, influence, or distinction.

   a minor, insignificant bureaucrat.

4. without weight of character; contemptible.

   an insignificant fellow.

5. without meaning; meaningless.

   insignificant sounds.

noun

1. a word, thing, or person without significance.

insignificant

/ ˌɪnsɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt /

adjective

1. having little or no importance; trifling

2. almost or relatively meaningless

3. small or inadequate

   an insignificant wage

4. not distinctive in character, etc

Other Word Forms

• insignificantly adverb
• insignificance noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of insignificant¹

First recorded in 1620–30; in- ³ + significant

Example Sentences

In most materials on Earth, this isotope is already an insignificant fraction compared to potassium's other two isotopes.

Read more on Science Daily

For years, scientists have known that tiny chemical patterns can form inside metal alloys, but most assumed these patterns were insignificant or disappeared during manufacturing.

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In reality, the limited data on mass shootings and homicide assailants’ gender identities suggests that “trans people make up an insignificant percentage” of perpetrators, Lenning said.

Read more on Salon

“Everybody recognized this moment and worked together across their differences, which were not insignificant,” Newsom said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

JNIM's "choice to target buses and tankers is not insignificant - it aims to strike at the heart of Mali's social and economic mobility", Bamada.net reported last week.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• inconsequential 
• infinitesimal 
• irrelevant 
• meager 
• meaningless 
• minimal 
• minor 
• minuscule 
• negligible 
• paltry 
• pointless 
• senseless 
• trivial 
• unimportant