imperceptible

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French imperceptible, from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis.

adj

  1. not perceptible, not detectable, too small in magnitude to be observed
    We all missed the imperceptible shake of his head as he tried to warn us without being seen.
    To my unpractised eye, the undulations in the track were quite imperceptible, but the engineer's hand on the throttle was never still. 1961 July, J. Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 425
    Very small benefits may be imperceptible. And it is plausible to claim that an 'imperceptible benefit' is not a benefit. 1986, Derek Parfit, Reasons and Persons, OUP Oxford, page 75
  2. beyond the purview of man; too great and all-encompassing to be perceived.

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