imperceptible

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English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French imperceptible, from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

imperceptible (comparative more imperceptible, superlative most imperceptible)

  1. not perceptible, not detectable, too small in magnitude to be observed
    Synonyms: imperceivable, undistinguishable, unperceivable
    Antonyms: detectable, perceptible
    We all missed the imperceptible shake of his head as he tried to warn us without being seen.
    • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VII, in Romance and Reality. , volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, , →OCLC, page 142:
      A narrow, almost imperceptible path led them through the thickest of the wood. Two or three times they had to creep under boughs which, but for the ease with which they gave way, would seem never to have admitted a passage before.
    • 1961 July, J. Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 425:
      To my unpractised eye, the undulations in the track were quite imperceptible, but the engineer's hand on the throttle was never still.
    • 1986, Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons, OUP Oxford, →ISBN, page 75:
      Very small benefits may be imperceptible. And it is plausible to claim that an 'imperceptible benefit' is not a benefit.
  2. beyond the purview of man; too great and all-encompassing to be perceived.
    Synonym: cosmic
    Antonym: imperceptible

Derived terms

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, By surface analysis, im- +‎ perceptible.

Pronunciation

Adjective

imperceptible m or f (masculine and feminine plural imperceptibles)

  1. imperceptible
    Antonym: perceptible

Derived terms

Further reading

French

Etymology

From the Medieval Latin imperceptibilis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɛ̃.pɛʁ.sɛp.tibl/

Adjective

imperceptible (plural imperceptibles)

  1. imperceptible
    Synonym: insensible

Derived terms

Further reading

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis. By surface analysis, im- +‎ perceptible.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Spain) /impeɾθebˈtible/
  • IPA(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /impeɾsebˈtible/
  • Rhymes: -ible
  • Syllabification: im‧per‧cep‧ti‧ble

Adjective

imperceptible m or f (masculine and feminine plural imperceptibles)

  1. imperceptible

Derived terms

Further reading

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