English

edit

Etymology

edit

From imperceptible +‎ -ly.

Adverb

edit

imperceptibly (comparative more imperceptibly, superlative most imperceptibly)

  1. Not noticeably; too small to be detected; too little to be perceived.
    No one noticed that he had moved imperceptibly backwards.
    • 1838, William Andrus Alcott, chapter I, in The Young House-keeper: Or, Thoughts on Food and Cookery[1], third stereotype edition, Boston: George W. Light, page 21:
      It often happens that the most important results in the natural world are brought about by causes which operate silently, if not imperceptibly.
    • 1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 154:
      The moon moved imperceptibly towards setting.
  2. Beyond the purview of man; too great and all-encompassing to be perceived.

Translations

edit