INFINITESIMAL


Meaning of INFINITESIMAL in English

I. ˌinˌfinəˈtesəməl, -tezə- sometimes -sm- or -zm- noun

( -s )

Etymology: New Latin infinitesimus infinite in rank (from Latin infinitus infinite + -esimus, ordinal suffix + English -al — more at infinite

1. : a function that can be made arbitrarily close to zero

2. : an infinitesimal quantity

II. | ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷( ̷ ̷) ̷ ̷ adjective

1. : capable of being made arbitrarily close to zero

2. : immeasurably or incalculably small : very minute

• in·fin·i·tes·i·mal·ly -səməlē, -zəmə- -ˌli sometimes -sməl- or -zməl- or -səml- or -zəml- adverb

• in·fin·i·tes·i·mal·ness -səməlnə̇s, -zəm- sometimes -sm- or -zm- noun -es

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.