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
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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
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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
-
Numerous state legislatures, heavily lobbied by commercial industries, have preempted or challenged Rights of Nature laws, rendering them null, void, and wholly unenforceable.—
India Nye Wenner,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2025
-
To reporters late Sunday evening and later on social media, Trump claimed the pardons are null because Biden had used an autopen rather than sign by hand.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As mentioned above, taking creatine in higher doses, such as 20 grams per day, may trigger minor side effects like water retention.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 2025
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Commonly known as Tylenol, it's thought to reduce fever and relieve minor aches and pains by raising your body's pain threshold and regulating your body temperature.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Walgreens pharmacists ignored red flags that the prescriptions were invalid or lacked a medical purpose, the complaint said.—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Walgreens then allegedly submitted reimbursement claims to several different federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE, for prescriptions that were invalid or not medically necessary and were not eligible for reimbursement, according to the agreement.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Both lotteries offer better odds for smaller prizes, with Mega Millions stating that the odds of winning any prize is 1 in 23.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Thankfully, plenty of other types of fruit are standing at the ready to fill that fiber void—without skimping on that watermelon-like crunch either.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The agreements were declared void, and the Kailasans were deported — not to Kailasa, but to their actual home countries, among them India, the United States, Sweden and China.—
Mujib Mashal,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Obstetricians say, at the end of the day, AFE is really just a product of bad luck, and there's little that can be done to prevent it.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Its success hinges on a lean, carefully structured curriculum that leaves little ambiguity in what must be taught.—
Luke Lombe,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Removing or reforming colleges with chronically poor outcomes means fewer borrowers entering repayment with no degree or worthless credentials.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Settlers who actually traveled to Florida to inspect their purchases were likely to be greeted by muddy parcels of worthless swampland overrun with snakes and mosquitoes, miles away from anything resembling civilization.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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It’s made from a breathable cotton blend for body-skimming stretch, and there’s a keyhole detail in the back, plus a slight puff sleeve for some extra style points.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some are skeptical given his slight wingspan and arm length and wonder if a move to left guard may eventually be necessary.—
Chad Graff,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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