Adjacent Words

Imperceptible definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

IMPERCEP'TIBLE, a.
1. Not to be perceived; not to be known or discovered by the senses. We say a thing is imperceptible to the touch, to the eye or sight, to the ear, to the taste or smell. Hence,
2. Very small; fine; minute in dimensions; or very slow in motion or progress; as, the growth of a plant or animal is imperceptible; it is too slow to be perceived by the eye.
IMPERCEP'TIBLE, n. That which cannot be perceived by the senses on account of its smallness. [Little used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses; "an imperceptible drop in temperature"; "an imperceptible nod"; "color is unperceivable to the touch" [syn: imperceptible, unperceivable] [ant: perceptible]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, from Latin in- + Late Latin perceptibilis perceptible Date: 15th century not perceptible by a sense or by the mind ; extremely slight, gradual, or subtle <imperceptible differences> • imperceptibly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 that cannot be perceived. 2 very slight, gradual, or subtle. Derivatives: imperceptibility n. imperceptibly adv. Etymology: F imperceptible or med.L imperceptibilis (as IN-(1), PERCEPTIBLE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Imperceptible Im`per*cep"ti*ble, a. [Pref. im- not + perceptible: cf. F. imperceptible.] Not perceptible; not to be apprehended or cognized by the souses; not discernible by the mind; not easily apprehended. Almost imperceptible to the touch. --Dryden. Its operation is slow, and in some cases almost imperceptible. --Burke. -- Im`per*cep"ti*ble*ness, n. -- Im`per*cep"ti*bly, adv. Their . . . subility and imperceptibleness. --Sir M. Hale.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Something that is imperceptible is so small that it is not noticed or cannot be seen. Brian's hesitation was almost imperceptible. ADJ • imperceptibly The disease develops gradually and imperceptibly. ADV: usu ADV with v, also ADV adj

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Invisible, undiscernible, not to be perceived. 2. Fine, minute, very small, impalpable.

Moby Thesaurus

atomic, behind the curtain, behind the scenes, camouflaged, concealed, corpuscular, disguised, embryonic, ephemeral, evanescent, faint, fugitive, germinal, granular, hidden, ill-defined, impalpable, imponderable, inappreciable, inaudible, inconsiderable, inconspicuous, indiscernible, indistinct, indistinguishable, infinitesimal, insensible, insignificant, intangible, invisible, latent, microcosmic, microscopic, minuscule, minute, molecular, momentary, obscure, out of sight, secret, sightless, slight, subatomic, submerged, subtle, tenuous, thin, tiny, trivial, ultramicroscopic, unapparent, unappreciable, unbeheld, unbeholdable, unclear, undiscernible, undistinguishable, unnoticeable, unnoticed, unobservable, unobserved, unperceivable, unperceived, unrealized, unseeable, unseen, unviewed, unwitnessed, vague, viewless