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What is the origin of infinitesimal?
Infinite, as you probably know, means "endless" or "extending indefinitely." It is ultimately from Latin infīnītus, the opposite of fīnītus, meaning "finite." The notion of smallness in infinitesimal derives from the mathematical concept that a quantity can be divided endlessly; no matter how small, it can be subdivided into yet smaller fractions, or infinitesimals. The concept was still in its infancy in the early 1700s when Irish philosopher George Berkeley observed that some people "assert there are infinitesimals of infinitesimals of infinitesimals, etc., without ever coming to an end." He used the word in a mathematical sense, too, referring to "infinitesimal parts of finite lines." Later, the adjectival form acquired a general sense applicable to anything too small to be measured.
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Examples of infinitesimal in a Sentence
Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
No, the expedition hadn’t deployed underwater video, and the chances would have been infinitesimal anyway.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024
Big Think, 24 June 2024
Initially, Newton and Leibniz came up with objects called infinitesimals.
—Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 31 Aug. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Infinitesimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infinitesimal. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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