Imperceptible

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Imperceptible

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

im-per-SEP-tuh-bul  /ɪmpəˈsɛptɪb(ə)l/

Definition

So small, slight, or gradual as to be not perceptible; impossible or very difficult to perceive or sense.

Plain meaning

Imperceptible means too small or too slow to notice. An imperceptible change is one so small that you cannot see or feel it. An imperceptible difference in colour looks identical to the eye. An imperceptible shift in opinion happens so gradually that no one notices until it has occurred. The word implies that the thing exists but cannot be registered by the senses or detected by ordinary attention.

Register

Neutral to slightly formal. Imperceptible is used in everyday speech (an imperceptible nod) and in technical writing (an imperceptible temperature change, an imperceptible difference in wavelength). It is a precise word — meaning specifically below the threshold of detection, not merely small.