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inconsequence

C2
noun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /ɪnkˈɒnsɪkwəns/

US

  • /ɪŋkˈɑːnsɪkwəns/

Description

"Inconsequence" usually describes a lack of importance. It fits things that seem small, slight, or not worth much attention. Imagine a pebble dropped into the ocean: the splash is brief, and soon it is gone. That sense of having little weight or effect is the heart of the word. A minor detail in a story, a passing remark, or a small social mistake might all be treated as matters of inconsequence.

In more formal writing, the word can also point to a lack of clear connection in thought. If someone speaks with inconsequence, their ideas may drift without a strong link from one point to the next. In that sense, the word does not just suggest smallness; it suggests that what is being said or done lacks solid meaning or order.

Examples

  1. 1

    Medical costs

    Next to the cost of the surgery, the hotel bill was an inconsequence.

  2. 2

    Public controversy

    Once the data leak became public, the earlier argument over design changes became a matter of inconsequence.

  3. 3

    Political disputes

    After the election, the party's smaller internal disputes faded into inconsequence.

    • Pattern

      fade into inconsequence

      gradually come to seem unimportant

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • inconsequencenoun