negligible
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- negligibility noun
- negligibleness noun
- negligibly adverb
- nonnegligibility noun
- nonnegligible adjective
- nonnegligibleness noun
- nonnegligibly adverb
- quasi-negligible adjective
- quasi-negligibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of negligible
Explanation
When something is meaningless or insignificant because it is so little, it's negligible. The amount of interest you'll get on your savings is negligible, so you might as well spend your money. If you work really hard on something, but the praise you get for it is negligible, you won't try so hard next time. Besides meaning very small, negligible can mean unimportant or not worth paying attention to. If you get into a fender-bender, you've gotten into a car accident with negligible damage. School concert programs always offer a word of thanks to the principal and other members of the administration whose role in the concert seems to be negligible.
Vocabulary lists containing negligible
Essential English Vocabulary, List 2
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!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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!
It's the Little Things: Synonyms for "Small"
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.
Samsung said the purpose of the pilot is to explore whether ads relevant to home chores can be useful to owners, and that overall pushback has been negligible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
In most environments across the universe, its influence is negligible.
From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026
Analyst expects negligible financial impact on Trade Desk from OpenAI’s ad revenue, even if it reaches $3.3 billion by 2027.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
"But it is interesting to note that the more adaptable pinks have proven less popular than we might have assumed, and green and red varieties negligible, highlighting the importance in maintaining cultivated diversity in gardens."
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
Discounting a totally negligible incident a couple of years earlier, when he had methodically dragged the entire apartment for a mislaid or “stolen” tennis-racket press.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
