negligible

adjective

neg·​li·​gi·​ble ˈne-gli-jə-bəl How to pronounce negligible (audio)
: 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
negligibility noun
negligibly adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To Georgia, the cost of guarantee games is negligible: its coach, Kirby Smart, has a salary bigger than UMass’s entire budget. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024 Of that sum, traditional album sales contribute 1,000, streaming activity comprises 66,000 units, while the remaining negligible number of units stem from track-equivalent album units. Pamela Bustios, Billboard, 25 Nov. 2024 Half of accessibility efforts will have negligible CX impact. Forrester, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Prosecution could act as a deterrent for potential future offenders -- though a prison sentence would be highly unlikely, and the fine could be considered negligible to a billionaire, Spencer added. Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for negligible 

Word History

Etymology

Latinization of French négligeable, from négliger "to disregard, neglect" (going back to Middle French negliger, borrowed from Latin neglegere, neclegere "to disregard, do nothing about") + -able -able — more at neglect entry 1

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of negligible was in 1829

Dictionary Entries Near negligible

Cite this Entry

“Negligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligible. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

negligible

adjective
neg·​li·​gi·​ble ˈneg-li-jə-bəl How to pronounce negligible (audio)
: so small or unimportant as to deserve little or no attention
a negligible error
negligibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on negligible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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