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.
Japanese officials have said the wastewater will be safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be negligible. Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025 But for decades, progress on the problem was negligible. Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 22 May 2025 Despite a higher income, habits like buying better groceries or nicer clothes can quickly make the pay increase feel negligible. Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2025 The good news in this case is that Eva’s advantage of being able to place her ball directly in the basket was negligible, seeing as how all the other players seemed to land theirs on their first or second shot. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 22 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Negligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligible. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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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