infime
tiny, infinitesimal
adjective an-FEEM Rare
Origin: From Latin 'infimus' (lowest, smallest).
Usage Note
Infime is invariable for gender (same form for masculine and feminine: un détail infime, une partie infime). It stresses that something is not merely small but negligibly, vanishingly small — closer to English 'infinitesimal' than simply 'small'. It should not be confused with infâme ('infamous') which sounds similar.
Examples
"Une infime partie de la population est concernée."
Natural Translation
An infinitesimal portion of the population is affected.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
5 min read