imperceptible

adjective

im·​per·​cep·​ti·​ble ˌim-pər-ˈsep-tə-bəl 

: not perceptible by a sense or by the mind : extremely slight, gradual, or subtle

imperceptible differences

imperceptibly

ˌim-pər-ˈsep-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms of imperceptible

• invisible
• subtle
• indistinguishable

Examples of imperceptible in a Sentence

These changes will be imperceptible to most people.

a slight difference in hue between the two glasses that's imperceptible unless they're placed side by side

Recent Examples on the Web

Movie genres wax and wane over time in a way that can be borderline imperceptible. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026

And, scarily, this kind of inflammation is mostly imperceptible. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026

Any deflection of electrons shows up as a tiny, almost imperceptible change in voltage. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026

Anthropic's method reportedly embeds an imperceptible mark during text generation, persisting through copying. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin perceptibilis perceptible

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for imperceptible

• acceptable
• perceptible
• susceptible
• unacceptable

Kids Definition

imperceptible

adjective

im·​per·​cep·​ti·​ble ˌim-pər-ˈsep-tə-bəl 

1

: not noticeable : not perceptible by a sense or by the mind

one whose beauty was imperceptible to others

2

: hardly noticeable : very small or gradual

an imperceptible smile

imperceptibly

-blē 

adverb