1 infinitesimal | Definition of infinitesimal
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infinitesimal

adjective
in·​fin·​i·​tes·​i·​mal | \ (ˌ)in-ˌfi-nə-ˈte-sə-məl How to pronounce infinitesimal (audio) , -zə-məl\

Definition of infinitesimal

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : immeasurably or incalculably small an infinitesimal difference
2 : taking on values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero

infinitesimal

noun

Definition of infinitesimal (Entry 2 of 2)

: an infinitesimal quantity or variable
Other Words from infinitesimal Synonyms & Antonyms What is the origin of infinitesimal? More Example Sentences Learn More about infinitesimal

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Other Words from infinitesimal

Adjective

infinitesimally \ (ˌ)in-​ˌfi-​nə-​ˈte-​sə-​mə-​lē How to pronounce infinitesimally (audio) , -​zə-​mə-​ \ adverb

What is the origin of infinitesimal?

Noun

Infinite, as you probably know, means "endless" or "extending indefinitely." It is ultimately from Latin infinitus, the opposite of finitus, 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 1710 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 adjective in a mathematical sense, too, referring to "infinitesimal parts of finite lines." Less than a quarter century later, the adjective had acquired a general sense applicable to anything too small to be measured.

Examples of infinitesimal in a Sentence

Adjective

 an infinitesimal moment in time a soft drink with only an infinitesimal amount of caffeine

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 Unfortunately, the alternatives for traditional conservatives are not great, and the odds of another Republican winning the GOP nomination in 2020 are infinitesimal. — Jim Geraghty, National Review, "A Buffet Table of Bad Options for Anti-Trump Conservatives in 2020," 21 Aug. 2019 Wilds understands his odds of making the 53-man roster are infinitesimal. — Eric Branch, SFChronicle.com, "Brandon Wilds’ story: 49ers’ running back came through after coming off couch," 14 Aug. 2019 Granted, my contribution was small — infinitesimal would be overstating it. — Ellen Albanese, BostonGlobe.com, "Get stuck on sticks with a visit to ‘A Passing Fancy’," 16 July 2019 In actual fact, the focus is infinitesimal and therefore impossible to find in the real world. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Is Infinity Real?’," 30 June 2016 There has been some debate in the comments section regarding an answer given by Michael, who treated the multidimensional figure purely mathematically and came up with an answer of less than 50 percent for a small, but not infinitesimal, change. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘Which Forecasts Are True?’," 26 Oct. 2016 Instead, there were centuries of infinitesimal changes. — The Economist, "Latin is dead—yet it also lives on," 8 June 2019 Meanwhile, paid family leave for many American workers is infinitesimal or nonexistent, meaning that for those who do need to take care of a family member, there’s often no choice but to quit work. — Anna North, Vox, "You’ve heard that women make 80 cents to men’s dollar. It’s much worse than that.," 2 Apr. 2019 The odds of otherwise healthy people facing hospitalization is even lower than this infinitesimal amount. — Jim Prevor, WSJ, "Lettuce Try Not to Panic," 29 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'infinitesimal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of infinitesimal

Adjective

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1706, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for infinitesimal

Adjective

borrowed from New Latin infīnītēsimālis, from infīnītēsimus "infinite in rank" (from Latin infīnītus "having no limit, infinite entry 1" + -ēsimus, suffix of higher ordinal numbers) + Latin -ālis -al entry 1 — more at vigesimal

Noun

New Latin infīnītēsimus "infinite in rank" + -al entry 2 — more at infinitesimal entry 1

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More Definitions for infinitesimal

infinitesimal

adjective
How to pronounce infinitesimal (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of infinitesimal

: extremely small

See the full definition for infinitesimal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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