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
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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
-
Many of them see it as a serious sign of lack of compatibility, rather than a minor difference in opinion.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Given the gale force NE'rly winds some minor soundside coastal flooding (up to 1-2 ft) may also occur starting with the Tue afternoon high tide cycle as well.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
If any provision of this Act or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of the provision to other persons not similarly situated or to other circumstances shall not be affected thereby.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Oct. 2025
-
An international arbitral tribunal in The Hague rejected China’s sweeping claims in a 2016 ruling that Beijing continues to dismiss as invalid.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Add the ginger during the last minute of cooking, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Martin knocked on the hunter’s small tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This Promotion is void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
-
His landscapes are muddy and void, prone to sudden invasion by disturbing strangers, including the giant whale carcass that arrives on a train at the beginning of his 1989 novel, The Melancholy of Resistance.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Inside, two picnic tables were stacked on top of each other, leaving little room to climb.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
During last week's episode, viewers saw Dylan dance with his little sister, Olivia, for Dedication Night on.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Another recurring feature of the biggest asset booms is outright chicanery, such as fraudulent accounting, the marketing of worthless securities, and plain old stealing.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Marks drew a parallel to the late 1990s internet boom, which promised to transform the world — and ultimately did — yet left a trail of worthless companies in its wake.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Return with a slight counter-rotation and complete more reps as desired.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
21 Oct. 2025
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Looking ahead to 2026, Coke is projecting a slight tail wind to both its revenue and comparable earnings from currency fluctuations.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Maybe autocracy starts with something as trivial as this.—
John M. Crisp,
Twin Cities,
22 Oct. 2025
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The trivial things become the big things because the big things have gone away.—
Essence,
Essence,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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