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négligeable

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Etymology and origin of the French word négligeable

Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1843 Landais More words from the 19th century
Ultimate origin
Latin neglegō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
French négliger
French négligeable
From the same root
French négligé ← négliger

Pronunciation

  • /ne.ɡli.ʒabl/[1]

Forms

négligeable (plural négligeables)[1]

Etymology

It is formed from French négliger + -able.[2][3][4][5] An earlier form négligible is recorded first: the TLFi and the DHLF date it to 1840, the Grand Robert and the GLLF to 1834, all from Landais.[2][6][3][7] Bloch and Wartburg date the adjective to 1845.[8]

The verb, borrowed in the 14th century, is from Latin neglegō (“to neglect”).[8][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

Landais' dictionary records it in 1843, meaning “that need not be taken into account”.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

The word soon took hold in the sciences in the phrase quantité négligeable (1869, Sainte-Beuve), a quantity whose omission does not noticeably affect a result.[2][6][5] The phrase passed into everyday use; at the end of the 19th century it began to be applied to people.[6] traiter quelqu'un comme une quantité négligeable, to take no account of someone, is recorded by the Académie in 1935.[7] Littré (1868) gives the word as chiefly mathematical.[10][7] By litotes, non négligeable means “considerable”.[4][5]

Timeline

  • 1834 – The Grand Robert and the GLLF date the form négligible to Landais.[3][7]
  • 1843 – Négligeable appears in Landais' dictionary.[2][3]
  • 1868 – Littré records the mathematical sense.[7]
  • 1869 – Sainte-Beuve uses quantité négligeable.[2][6]
  • 1935 – The Académie records traiter quelqu'un en quantité négligeable.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. negligible: not worth taking into account, insignificant: Le coût de l'opération est négligeable.[5][2][4]
  2. non négligeable: appreciable, considerable: Il a reçu une aide non négligeable de sa famille.[5][4]
  3. (mathematics) That can be left out without making the result noticeably wrong: quantité négligeable.[5][7][2]
  4. (figurative) traiter quelqu'un comme une quantité négligeable: to take no notice of someone, of their presence or opinions.[5][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  9. ^ Picoche, Jacqueline (1991), Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris: Le Robert (Les Usuels du Robert)
  10. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Négligeable.” Etymologically, 14 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/n%C3%A9gligeable. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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