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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
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According to the sages of Wall Street, the legacy cable/satellite/telco-TV bundle is as dead as the Diplodocus, although there are still an awful lot of customers banging around in that null set.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 Jan. 2025
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Or at least Eren couldn’t, and his conclusion ably demonstrated the scientific value of null results.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Many sparkling water brands, kombucha makers, and craft sodas favor glass bottles for sustainability and quality—but if not manufactured correctly, even minor defects can lead to unexpected breakage.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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Even minor decisions had to be run up the church’s chain of command, say former members.—
Guthrie Scrimgeour,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
China refused to participate in the proceedings and maintains the award is invalid.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
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Reina’s attorney argued in part that the lawsuit is invalid because statutes of limitation have expired.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacramento Bee,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Sitting in his idling pickup one afternoon, Sherlock watched as a Canadian Pacific train rumbled by the grain elevator in the small town of Wimbledon.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
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His 2024 numbers and also 2025 spring training numbers are both very small sample sizes, so the jury is still out on Warren.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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With that money spread out over the course of his contract and into the four void years after his deal expires, his cap hit in 2025 is now $52.574 million.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Mar. 2025
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By repeating his plan to clear out Gaza, Trump has shifted the Overton window in the Middle East and reinforced the idea that Palestinians’ claims are somehow void.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Dolly Parton and Carl Dean had one of the entertainment industry's most enduring marriages, but very little is known about the country music legend's late husband.—
Ashley Hume,
Fox News,
7 Mar. 2025
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Very little of that is likely to come from defense cuts.—
Jeremy Lott,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This makes any concessions congressional Democrats may be able to obtain from their Republican colleagues worthless.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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These pump-and-dump schemes artificially inflate stock prices, allowing the perpetrators to sell at a high price before the stock inevitably crashes, leaving investors with worthless shares.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Freud’s notion of remembering, the inexact reiteration of what came before, is where creativity emerges—that slight drift from the original that lets something unlikely slip in.—
Namwali Serpell,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
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Sugarcane honey is a concentrated form of sugarcane juice that has a slight licorice taste and a touch of bitterness.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to nugatory
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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