negligible
adjective
neg·li·gi·ble
ˈne-gli-jə-bəl 
: so small or unimportant or of so little consequence as to warrant little or no attention : trifling
a negligible error
last year sales were negligible
a negligible risk
a negligible effect
Did you know?
Negligible comes from the same Latin verb as neglect, so something negligible is literally "neglectable". If an accident results in negligible damage to your car, you should be thankful. If two years of intense focus on testing in the classroom results in a negligible improvement in student test scores, it's probably time to try something new.
Examples of negligible in a Sentence
A negligible amount of damage was done to the vehicle.
The price difference was negligible.
Recent Examples on the Web
The probability of being hit by a primordial black hole is negligible, says Loeb.
—
Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Changes and modifications to reduce risk aren’t cost free, of course — vent covers may be negligible, but a new roof and siding may well be prohibitive for many households.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our e-bike was $1,200 after the subsidy, requires an annual $200 tune-up, and accrues negligible electricity costs.
—Elizabeth Endicott, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston recently confirmed that Trump’s tariff proposals would have only a negligible effect on inflation.
—Andrew Rechenberg, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for negligible
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Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025
Changes and modifications to reduce risk aren’t cost free, of course — vent covers may be negligible, but a new roof and siding may well be prohibitive for many households.
—Ron Lieber, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our e-bike was $1,200 after the subsidy, requires an annual $200 tune-up, and accrues negligible electricity costs.
—Elizabeth Endicott, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston recently confirmed that Trump’s tariff proposals would have only a negligible effect on inflation.
—Andrew Rechenberg, Boston Herald, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for negligible
Cite this Entry
“Negligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligible. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
negligible
adjective
neg·li·gi·ble
ˈneg-li-jə-bəl
: so small or unimportant as to deserve little or no attention
a negligible error
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