adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtɛsɪməl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛsɪməl
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N F IH0 N IH0 T EH1 S IH0 M AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Incalculably, exceedingly, or immeasurably minute; vanishingly small.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Do you ever get the feeling that you are but an infinitesimal speck, swallowed by the vastness of the universe and beyond?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of or pertaining to non-zero quantities whose magnitude is less than any positive rational number.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Very small.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number (by definition it is not a real number).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: infinity
5
noun
Meaning 5
Something infinitesimally small.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
infinitely or immeasurably small
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
two minute whiplike threads of protoplasm
reduced to a microscopic scale
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: minute
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
(mathematics) a variable that has zero as its limit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: variable, variable quantity
History
Etymology
From New Latin īnfīnītēsimus + -al. Displaced earlier coordinate term fluxion.
Across languages
Translations
35 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
безкрайно малък
(bezkrajno malǎk)
— very small
Czech:
nepatrný
— very small
Dutch:
infinitesimaal
— very small
Dutch:
oneindig klein
— very small
Finnish:
äärettömän pieni
— very small
Finnish:
infinitesimaalinen
— very small
French:
infinitésimal
— very small
Greek:
απειροελάχιστος
(apeiroeláchistos)
— very small
Hebrew:
אַפְסִי
(afsí)
— very small
Māori:
merowhetau
— very small
Polish:
nieskończenie mały
— very small
Polish:
infinitezymalny
— very small
Russian:
бесконе́чно ма́лый
(beskonéčno mályj)
— very small
Serbo-Croatian:
инфинитезималан
— very small
Spanish:
infinitésimo
— very small
Tagalog:
napakalinggit
— very small
Bulgarian:
клонящ към нула
(klonjašt kǎm nula)
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Czech:
infinitezimální
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Finnish:
infinitesimaalinen
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Greek:
απειροστός
(apeirostós)
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Polish:
nieskończenie mały
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Polish:
infinitezymalny
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Spanish:
infinitesimal
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Tagalog:
napakalinggit
— mathematics: pertaining to values that approach zero
Bulgarian:
безкрайно малка величина
(bezkrajno malka veličina)
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Finnish:
infinitesimaali
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
French:
infinitésimal
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Greek:
πολλοστημόριο
(pollostimório)
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Hungarian:
infinitezimális
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Macedonian:
инфинитезимала
(infinitezimala)
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Macedonian:
бесконечно мала величина
(beskonečno mala veličina)
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Polish:
wielkość nieskończenie mała
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Russian:
бесконе́чно малая величина́
(beskonéčno malaja veličiná)
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Swedish:
infinitesimal
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
Tagalog:
napakalinggit
— A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number
