1
as in null
having no legal or binding force
the congressional resolution has symbolic value only, as it relates to a matter governed by the states and is thus nugatory
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
lacking importance
the book is entertaining, but its contributions to Shakespearean scholarship are nugatory
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nugatory
Women directors abound in the S&S list: Two Akermans, two Agnès Vardas (none by her husband Jacques Demy, a superior artist), a nugatory Jane Campion soap opera, Vera Chitilová’s obscure Czech feminist screed, etc.
—
Armond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022
But the benefits to Russia longer term could be nugatory.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Week, 4 Mar. 2022
It could be used to rationalize stealing the pennies from a dead man’s eyes, true, even considering the nugatory value of the contemporary penny.
—Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020
Yet all of these questions seem, increasingly, merely nostalgic, nugatory, in the face of the dissolution of the common solidarity of principles that had once made the liberation happen.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 6 June 2019
Armond White, National Review, 7 Dec. 2022
But the benefits to Russia longer term could be nugatory.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Week, 4 Mar. 2022
It could be used to rationalize stealing the pennies from a dead man’s eyes, true, even considering the nugatory value of the contemporary penny.
—Marilynne Robinson, The New York Review of Books, 27 May 2020
Yet all of these questions seem, increasingly, merely nostalgic, nugatory, in the face of the dissolution of the common solidarity of principles that had once made the liberation happen.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 6 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nugatory
Adjective
-
Aside from the three fatalities, four people were hospitalized including two men, both 35, who were in critical condition, and two other men, 37 and 38, who sustained minor injuries, according to the fire department.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Of the more than 70,000 people currently in immigration detention facilities, only about 25% of them have any kind of criminal conviction, which can include traffic violations and other minor offenses, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks detention data.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
City officials, however, cannot bypass procedures due to due process requirements, and attempting to accelerate the timeline might render the revocation invalid.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Halligan, a former insurance attorney who had been working in the White House, promptly filed indictments against the two, but both were ultimately dismissed after a court found Halligan’s appointment was invalid.—
Barbara McQuade,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This seems odd but ripening fruit releases small amounts of ethylene gas which can reduce the longevity of the arrangement.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But the geographical distance is small compared to the geopolitical canyon the Games hope to bridge.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The tickets are void if resold.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The 28-year-old fills a void left by center Myles Turner, who departed Indiana in the offseason for a free-agent contract with Milwaukee.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The importance of motive At this point, there’s little to suggest the motive is political or ideological, Leising said.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The big-tech releases from last week did little to calm nerves stateside, while some of Europe's biggest names are preparing to report this week.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Life itself being worthless, all things with it, that feed it, are worthless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Yonquenide wouldn’t discuss any of it, not even the monthly hyperinflation of some 20% to 30% that made his small income almost worthless.—
Maeva Bambuck,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
On Friday, there was only a slight danger of avalanches in Slovakia's highest mountain range.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
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Sateen weave bedding also tends to have a slight sheen with a drapey design, and an opulent feel right out of the package, Brenot points out.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Needless to say, this truly trivial little conundrum led me down a rabbit hole of laundry tips on Reddit.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The cost of an independent study is trivial compared to the cost of emergency enforcement, retrofits, and reactive fixes once problems surface.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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