So small in amount or effect that it is not worth considering.
“One writer claims the health risks of the new policy are negligible compared to its economic benefits.”
“Critics argue that the negligible improvement in test scores does not justify the program's high cost.”
Authors in Reading Part 4 use 'negligible' to downplay the other side's evidence, for example claiming a policy's environmental impact is negligible. Recognizing this word helps you see when a writer is minimizing a counterargument rather than actually refuting it, a common move in viewpoint passages.
Synonyms: insignificant, minimal, trivial