neg·li·gi·ble
ˈne-gli-jə-bəl
: 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
… was suffering terribly from the bad reviews and negligible sales of his first book …—E. L. Doctorow
neg·li·gi·bil·i·ty
ˌneglə̇jəˈbilətē
-lēj-,
-ətē,
-i
plural -es
: the quality or state of being negligible
differences between the two positions dwindle to negligibility—Lucius Garvin
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.
Cite this Entry
“Negligible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/negligible. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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