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
Engines fueled by cryogenic liquids such as oxygen and hydrogen have negligible effects on ozone, yet their complexity keeps them rare – used in only about 6% of launches today.
—
New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Measurements with a handheld meter showed negligible volatile organic compounds (VOCs) escaping from the chamber.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In addition to the streaming jump, D’Angelo’s song catalog sold 9,000 digital track downloads for the week, up from a negligible amount in the previous week.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The gravitational forces that move oceans are far too weak to affect human physiology, and studies of geomagnetic and atmospheric changes during lunar phases have yielded inconsistent or negligible results.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for negligible
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New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Measurements with a handheld meter showed negligible volatile organic compounds (VOCs) escaping from the chamber.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In addition to the streaming jump, D’Angelo’s song catalog sold 9,000 digital track downloads for the week, up from a negligible amount in the previous week.
—Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2025
The gravitational forces that move oceans are far too weak to affect human physiology, and studies of geomagnetic and atmospheric changes during lunar phases have yielded inconsistent or negligible results.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 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 31 Oct. 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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