insignificant
Americanadjective
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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.
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without weight of character; contemptible.
an insignificant fellow.
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without meaning; meaningless.
insignificant sounds.
noun
adjective
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having little or no importance; trifling
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almost or relatively meaningless
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small or inadequate
an insignificant wage
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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
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The Alchemist
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The Secret Life of Bees
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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.
An executor’s duties are not insignificant, and they come with legal jeopardy, so your friend’s ask is a big one.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 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
Although it is the beloved destination of my dog’s morning walks, its insignificant size and awkward location just off Olympic Boulevard didn’t seem appropriate for such a coveted event.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Even on trade deficits, the authors remind us, tariffs have historically had largely insignificant effects.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
His voice cracked with the strain, and they stood looking at each other in the whiteness and the emptiness, and Harry felt they were as insignificant as insects beneath that wide sky.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
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.
