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
-
The most minor miscalculation can botch a landing.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Its versatile uses range from nourishing the lips to minor wound care—helping maintain hydration along the way.—
Kathleen Baird-Murray,
Vogue,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After an examination of her records, the election board said 188 of Walker Thomas’ petition signatures were invalid, which brought her total number of valid signatures to 445, below the minimum 500 signatures required to run.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Noriega argued his charges were invalid under the legal doctrine that heads of state are often immune from prosecution, but courts rejected that argument in his case.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The founders argue that automation should be accessible to smaller operators, including neighborhood bars and private event spaces.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
There can be 30 minutes of small waves before a sneaker wave strikes.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Though his contract expires after 2028, Miami could use a void year that will result in an $11 million cap charge in 2029.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
17 Dec. 2025
-
The contest is void where prohibited by law.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Dick is sympathetic to Leroy’s perspective, noting that being Black in the military means having your personal life scrutinized, which is little comfort for Charlotte.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Sketches such as last night’s Oval Office monologue compact the coal of the administration’s info dumps into little diamonds of comedy, freeing the writers and cast to pursue more escapist fare.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The gain from a call option would exceed the return on the stock alone, but involves greater risk than simply buying the stock because the contracts can expire worthless.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When Ukraine agreed to give up the nuclear weapons on its soil in the mid-1990s, Russia provided a security guarantee that proved worthless.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The ice punishes the slightest miscalculations, demands the sharpest of focus.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
One report found there may be a slight benefit to moderate drinking, while the other concluded that even one drink a day was linked to a wide range of harms.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There were 70,000 hospitalizations a year, which was not trivial, and virtually eliminating them was one of the major successes for vaccines in this country.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
-
If that seems trivial, your at-home priorities may require review.—
Jennifer Noyes,
Air Mail,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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