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What is the origin of infinitesimal?
Infinite, as you probably know, means "endless" or "extending indefinitely." It is ultimately from Latin infīnītus, the opposite of fīnītus, meaning "finite." The notion of smallness in infinitesimal derives from the mathematical concept that a quantity can be divided endlessly; no matter how small, it can be subdivided into yet smaller fractions, or infinitesimals. The concept was still in its infancy in the early 1700s when Irish philosopher George Berkeley observed that some people "assert there are infinitesimals of infinitesimals of infinitesimals, etc., without ever coming to an end." He used the word in a mathematical sense, too, referring to "infinitesimal parts of finite lines." Later, the adjectival form acquired a general sense applicable to anything too small to be measured.
Examples of infinitesimal in a Sentence
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
Needless to say, in the streaming age, that same percentage of $.003 per stream is infinitesimal.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 12 June 2025
Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Does something smaller exist? Particle physicists use gigantic accelerators to investigate the infinitesimal.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for infinitesimal
Cite this Entry
“Infinitesimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infinitesimal. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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