insignificant

adjective

in·​sig·​nif·​i·​cant ˌin(t)-sig-ˈni-fi-kənt How to pronounce insignificant (audio)
Synonyms of insignificant
: not significant: such as
a
: lacking meaning or import
b
: small in size, quantity, or number
c
: not worth considering : unimportant
d
: lacking weight, position, or influence : contemptible
insignificantly adverb

Synonyms of insignificant

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of insignificant in a Sentence

They lost an insignificant amount of money. Looking up at the stars always makes me feel so small and insignificant. These problems are not insignificant.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
At the time, the comment felt insignificant. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Some investors may view the position as too small to research or too insignificant to matter. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 Smart companies typically try to make the differences between them and the government seem small and insignificant. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 17 June 2026 Yes, Canada got out of their group and that’s not an insignificant result for a team that finished 31st of 32 teams less than four years ago at the World Cup. — Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for insignificant

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of insignificant was in 1651

Rhymes for insignificant

See All Rhymes for insignificant

Browse Nearby Words

insignificancy
insignificant
insignificative
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insignificant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insignificant. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

insignificant

adjective
in·​sig·​nif·​i·​cant ˌin(t)-sig-ˈnif-i-kənt How to pronounce insignificant (audio)
: not significant : unimportant
insignificantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on insignificant

Nglish: Translation of insignificant for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All