insignificance
C1Formal to neutral
Definition
Meaning
The quality or state of being unimportant, trivial, or lacking meaning or value.
A sense of personal smallness or irrelevance, especially when faced with something vast, powerful, or complex. Can also refer to a statistical result so small as to have no practical meaning.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an abstract noun. Often used to describe a quality of an object, event, or feeling, rather than a person directly (though a person can feel a 'sense of insignificance'). Implies a judgment of relative worth.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or spelling differences. Both use the same noun form.
Connotations
Identical connotations of triviality or lack of importance.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both varieties, perhaps slightly more common in formal or written American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + into insignificance (e.g., fade, pale)[verb] + to insignificance (e.g., reduce, relegate)the insignificance of + [noun phrase]a sense/feeling of insignificanceVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pale into insignificance”
- “fade into insignificance”
- “a mere bagatelle (related concept)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to dismiss minor costs, risks, or market fluctuations: 'The financial impact was of complete insignificance to the annual budget.'
Academic
Used in critiques, statistical analysis, or historical writing: 'The study demonstrated the statistical insignificance of the early results.'
Everyday
Used to express a feeling of being small or to downplay an issue: 'Stargazing always gives me a feeling of my own insignificance.' or 'Don't worry, it's a matter of total insignificance.'
Technical
In statistics, referring to a result (p-value) that does not meet the threshold to reject the null hypothesis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council's decision will insignificance the concerns of local residents.
- This finding insignificances the previous theory.
American English
- This new data insignificances our earlier hypothesis.
- The policy seems designed to insignificance individual complaints.
adverb
British English
- The donation was insignificance small.
- He shrugged insignificance.
American English
- The error affected the data insignificance.
- She waved her hand insignificance, dismissing the idea.
adjective
British English
- He made an insignificance remark that everyone ignored.
- They faced insignificance obstacles on the path.
American English
- It was an insignificance amount of money to them.
- We dealt with a few insignificance delays.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Compared to the main problem, our small argument was of no significance. *Note: At B1, learners use the antonym more readily.*
- The money involved was of such insignificance that he didn't even bother to collect it.
- Looking at the universe can make you feel a deep sense of your own insignificance.
- The scandal quickly reduced the earlier allegations to utter insignificance.
- The p-value confirmed the statistical insignificance of the correlation they had initially observed.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the word 'SIGN' in the middle. 'Insignificance' is the state of lacking a sign or signal of importance.
Conceptual Metaphor
IMPORTANCE IS SIZE / VISIBILITY. Therefore, insignificance is SMALLNESS / INVISIBILITY (e.g., 'fade into insignificance', 'a tiny detail').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calques like 'незначимость'. The standard translation is 'незначительность'.
- Do not confuse with 'insignia' (знаки отличия), which is a different word.
- The feeling 'sense of insignificance' is best translated as 'чувство собственной незначительности'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'insignificence' (wrong suffix).
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'an insignificance') is rare and usually incorrect.
- Confusing it with the adjective 'insignificant' in sentence structure.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'insignificance' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it carries a negative connotation of lacking value, importance, or meaning. However, in contexts like meditation or philosophy, acknowledging one's 'insignificance' in the cosmos can be presented as humbling or realistic, not purely negative.
It is more natural to describe a person's *feelings* ('a sense of insignificance'), *role* ('the insignificance of his position'), or *actions* ('reduced to insignificance') rather than labelling the person directly as 'an insignificance'. Directly calling a person 'an insignificance' is archaic and insulting.
Both imply unimportance. 'Insignificance' stresses a lack of inherent value, weight, or meaning. 'Irrelevance' stresses a lack of connection or applicability to the matter at hand. Something can be significant in itself but irrelevant to a specific discussion.
It's an idiom meaning to seem much less important when compared to something else. Structure: '[Subject of comparison] pales into insignificance beside/compared to/when set against [new, more important subject].' Example: 'My personal worries paled into insignificance when I heard her news.'