insignificantly

Insignificantly is an adverb used to indicate that something occurs to a small or negligible extent, or is not meaningful or noteworthy. It is formed from the adjective insignificant, and functions to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe degree, extent, or impact as being minor or unimportant.

Etymology and usage notes: insignificant comes from the negative prefix in- attached to significant, which itself derives from Latin significans meaning “signifying” or “indicating.” The adverb insignificantly is created by adding the suffix -ly to insignific ant, following standard English derivation patterns for turning adjectives into adverbs. In written English, insignificantly is most commonly encountered in formal or technical contexts where researchers wish to describe effects, differences, or results that lack practical or statistical significance.

In modern usage, insignificantly is frequently used in scientific, statistical, or analytical writing to describe outcomes that do not reach a threshold of significance. Phrasings such as “insignificantly different” or “insignificantly smaller” are common, though some editors prefer “not significantly different” to avoid ambiguity or subjective tone. Outside technical writing, the term can appear in journalism or commentary to indicate that a change is minor and unlikely to matter in a given context.

See also: insignificant, insignificance, significance, not significant.