Negligible — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈne-gli-jə-bəl/ neg·li·gi·ble

Meaning & Definition of Negligible

Negligible (adjective)

  1. so small or unimportant or of so little consequence as to warrant little or no attention, trifling

Negligible (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. so small or unimportant as to warrant little or no attention

    "the two cents in change was such a negligible sum that she left the store without bothering to take it"

    similar: chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial
    related: inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, little, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, small-fry, two-bit
    opposite: big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant
    near: serious, substantial, weighty, eventful, momentous, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable

  2. lacking importance

    "the results from that small study of coffee drinkers are negligible and can be ignored"

    similar: fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, little, Mickey Mouse, minor, minute, nugatory, slight, small, small-fry, trifling, trivial, unimportant, neither here nor there
    related: jerkwater, one-horse, nickel-and-dime, paltry, petty, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown
    opposite: big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty
    near: decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious, preeminent, prestigious, famous, notorious, renowned, all-important, basic, essential, fundamental, key

  3. small in degree

    "there's a negligible chance I may make it to the picnic, but don't count on it"

    similar: fragile, frail, off, outside, remote, slight, slim, small
    related: marginal, minimal, minor, little, tiny
    opposite: good
    near: great, large, distinct, significant, considerable, goodly, healthy, largish, respectable, sizable, substantial, tidy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Negligible

The most common words with a similar meaning to Negligible:

chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, peanut, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial, fiddling, foolish, frivolous, incidental, little, minor, nugatory, small, small-fry, unimportant, fragile, frail, off, outside, remote, slim, neither here nor there

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Negligible

Words with the opposite meaning of Negligible:

big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant, eventful, major, meaningful, momentous, substantial, unfrivolous, weighty, good

Related Words for Negligible

inferior, mean, imperceptible, inappreciable, puny, tiny, hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling, one-horse, two-bit, jerkwater, nickel-and-dime, small-time, worthless, anonymous, nameless, obscure, uncelebrated, unknown, marginal, minimal

Near Antonyms of Negligible

serious, pivotal, conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking, appreciable, discernible, measurable, decisive, fatal, fateful, chief, dominant, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, principal, distinctive, exceptional, impressive, valuable, worthwhile, worthy, distinguished, eminent, great, illustrious

Word Forms of Negligible

Derived words: negligibility (noun), negligibly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Negligible

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 neglect:1

First known use: 1829

Frequently Asked Questions about Negligible

What does "Negligible" mean?

"Negligible" means so small or unimportant or of so little consequence as to warrant little or no attention, trifling. As an adjective, it is defined as: so small or unimportant or of so little consequence as to warrant little or no attention, trifling. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Negligible"?

Other words for "Negligible" include chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly and Mickey Mouse. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Negligible" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Negligible"?

There are 63 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Negligible". Common alternatives include chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute and niggling.

What is the opposite of "Negligible"?

Antonyms of "Negligible" include big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant, eventful and major. Near antonyms include serious, pivotal, conspicuous and noteworthy.

How do you use "Negligible" in a sentence?

Examples of "Negligible" in a sentence: "the two cents in change was such a negligible sum that she left the store without bothering to take it"; "the results from that small study of coffee drinkers are negligible and can be ignored"; "there's a negligible chance I may make it to the picnic, but don't count on it".

Is "Negligible" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Negligible" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Negligible"?

"Negligible" is pronounced /ˈne-gli-jə-bəl/ and divided into syllables as neg·li·gi·ble.

What is the origin of the word "Negligible"?

"Negligible" comes from 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 neglect:1. First known use: 1829.