negligible difference

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'negligible difference' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to describe a very small difference or distinction that is too small to be worth worrying about. For example, "The difference in price between the two products was negligible, so I decided to go for the cheaper option."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Again, a negligible difference.

The Guardian - Sport

This shouldn't be dismissed as a negligible difference.

Independent

However, tax campaigners believe the move will make a negligible difference to the coffee shop's tax UK tax bill.

The Guardian - Business

This modification resulted in negligible difference between the numerical and the experimental results.

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

If there is negligible difference between bottled and tap water, why not encourage officials to install water fountains all over New York City?

The New York Times

Through London & Country we are remortgaging to a five-year fix with Santander at 2.99%, so it's a negligible difference in the rate.

The Guardian - Money

About 8percentt of tweets sent to male fans used offensive language, compared with 9percentt of tweets directed at female fans — a negligible difference.

The Washington Post

As before, wild type protein showed only negligible difference in specific activity under conditions of atmospheric CO2 compared to no CO2.

Nature

Amongst my friends there are those with roughened Received Pronunciation and those without: the lads are #lads like any others, the negligible difference is the voice.

The Telegraph

The results proved that there was negligible difference between either methods, with each producing MN arrays with comparable quality.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics

Fatty acid composition of SC-CO2 and hexane extracted oil shows negligible difference and found high source of linoleic acid.

Food Chemistry

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing two options, use "negligible difference" to confidently state that they are essentially the same for practical purposes.

Common error

Avoid exaggerating a "negligible difference" to support a particular argument; ensure your claims are proportionate to the actual distinction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "negligible difference" functions as a descriptive term, typically modifying a noun to indicate that the distinction being discussed is so small as to be inconsequential. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

49%

News & Media

38%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Academia

2%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "negligible difference" is a grammatically sound and frequently used expression to describe a very small or unimportant difference between two or more things. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and usability. It's most commonly found in scientific and news contexts. When using "negligible difference", ensure that the distinction truly is minor and avoid exaggerating its significance. Alternatives such as "insignificant difference" or "minimal difference" can be used depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. Remember to tailor your language to your audience and the context of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

insignificant difference

Replaces "negligible" with "insignificant", emphasizing the lack of importance.

minimal difference

Substitutes "negligible" with "minimal", highlighting the very small size of the difference.

slight difference

Uses "slight" instead of "negligible", suggesting a small but possibly noticeable difference.

minor difference

Replaces "negligible" with "minor", indicating a difference that is not of great consequence.

trivial difference

Uses "trivial" instead of "negligible", emphasizing the unimportance of the difference.

inconsequential difference

Replaces "negligible" with "inconsequential", highlighting the lack of impact of the difference.

unimportant difference

Substitutes "negligible" with "unimportant", directly stating that the difference is not significant.

virtually no difference

This phrase uses a stronger term, "virtually no", to express an almost complete absence of difference.

practically no difference

Similar to "virtually no difference", this indicates the difference is so small it's not worth considering.

hardly any difference

Expresses that the difference is barely noticeable.

FAQs

How can I use "negligible difference" in a sentence?

You can use "negligible difference" to indicate that the difference between two things is so small that it is not important. For example: "There was a "negligible difference" in test scores between the two groups."

What are some alternatives to saying "negligible difference"?

Alternatives include "insignificant difference", "minimal difference", or "slight difference" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "negligible difference" in formal writing?

Yes, "negligible difference" is suitable for formal writing, particularly in scientific, academic, and professional contexts, to objectively describe a very small or unimportant difference.

What's the difference between "negligible difference" and "significant difference"?

"Negligible difference" indicates that the difference is so small as to be unimportant, while "significant difference" suggests that the difference is large enough to be meaningful and noteworthy.