Inconsequential: meaning, example and synonyms

Inconsequentialadj. Not important or significant; having little or no effect.

Flashcard for Inconsequential (adjective): not important or significant; having little or no effect. Example: Although critics dismissed the variation in wing color as inconsequential, the biologist suspected it helped the moths evade predators. Synonyms: insignificant, trivial, negligible, minor. Antonyms: significant, crucial, momentous, weighty. Memory tip: in- ("not") + consequence: something with no consequences. Illustration: a single tiny pebble on one side of a large balance scale that does not tip at all.

Example

Although critics dismissed the variation in wing color as inconsequential, the biologist suspected it helped the moths evade predators.

Part of speech
adjective
Synonyms
insignificant, trivial, negligible, minor
Antonyms
significant, crucial, momentous, weighty
Memory tip
in- ("not") + consequence: something with no consequences.

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Check yourself: Inconsequential in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

The editor cut the paragraph about the author's favorite pen, judging the detail ______ to the essay's argument about rural schooling.

Question 2

At first the engineers treated the hairline crack as ______; only after it widened during a cold winter did they recognize that it threatened the entire span.

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