negligible

adjective

ˈne-gli-jə-bəl How to pronounce negligible (audio)
Definition of negligiblenext
1
as in nominal
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
lacking importance the results from that small study of coffee drinkers are negligible and can be ignored

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
small in degree there's a negligible chance I may make it to the picnic, but don't count on it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of negligible To any tired parent, five minutes sounds relatively negligible. — Taylor Grothe, Parents, 28 June 2026 Calling the agreement into question continuously could have far from negligible consequences indeed, given that Mexico and Canada have individually—and even more so collectively—surpassed China as America’s biggest trading partners. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 17 June 2026 The paper documents that annual water trading is negligible — usually less than 1% of total use even in severe droughts. — David Sathuluri, Mercury News, 16 June 2026 Some studies on the sterile insect technique as a means of managing fruit flies have shown a negligible difference when males and females are released together compared to males alone. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for negligible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for negligible
  1. nominal
  2. minor
  3. small
  4. slight
  5. little
  6. off
  7. insignificant
  8. slim
Adjective
  • Their nominal wide players aren’t explosive wingers who sprint 50 yards in five seconds, but more languid players who like drifting infield and playing passing combinations.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Its most common glide bomb models are the FAB-250, FAB-500, FAB-1500, and FAB-3000, where the number corresponds to the nominal weight of the bomb in kilograms.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of nominal
Adjective
  • On Thursday, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Ramon with lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, police said.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 10 July 2026
  • Many of those convicted committed only minor offenses, such as traffic violations, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
    — Mathew Miranda July 9, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of minor
Adjective
  • In contrast, instruments on the FireSat satellites will be able to detect small brush and roadside fires 16 feet across.
    — Eric Niiler, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • At the Cannes Film Festival in May, the model Toni Garrn made a striking appearance in a blue-black bustier dress embroidered with small petals.
    — Amy Verner, Vogue, 6 July 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • In 2024, roughly 48,800 Americans died by suicide, a slight decrease from the peak of nearly 49,500 deaths in this manner in 2022.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Matching trousers stayed narrow through the hips before loosening down the leg into a slight flare.
    — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 July 2026
Definition of slight
Adjective
  • There may be shitty people afoot in Independence, but not in that little house, not tonight.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
  • The Lost Legends videos demonstrate that, as with anything artistic, the talent of creator is crucial to success in AI so, ironically, Hollywood has little to fear from the technology.
    — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of little
Adjective
  • Sooryavanshi missed his first two balls and got off the mark with a sketchy inside edge that pinged past his off stump.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • If your student has an off-campus job or a position that requires them to work odd hours, a car might be worth the expense and hassle.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of off
Adjective
  • The small, seemingly insignificant experience of controlling an automobile by clutching and levering its gears turned out to be deeply meaningful.
    — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • Even with tariff turmoil swirling and adding a not-insignificant degree of confusion and instability to global trade, there have been some crucial bright spots for the textile industry over the past year, in large part because of the protections afforded by USMCA.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 26 June 2026
Definition of insignificant
Adjective
  • Their angled footbeds provide comfortable arch support while maintaining a slim, classic silhouette.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 8 July 2026
  • The slim shape gives off cool-girl energy, while the tortoiseshell finish keeps them feeling classic.
    — Kelsey Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
Definition of slim

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Cite this Entry

“Negligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/negligible. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on negligible

Nglish: Translation of negligible for Spanish Speakers

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