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
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
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Even basic tasks, like knowing the password to a legacy system or understanding why a data table has null values, can be governed by undocumented decisions made years ago.—
Kevin Novak,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Null and Void The first major point of controversy involves something called the null energy condition, under which—among other things—energy can’t propagate faster than light.—
Lyndie Chiou,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Consumer prices were absolutely stable on average from 1800 to 1913, dispensing with minor yearly variation, and there was no income tax.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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At the hospital, Knight was treated for minor injuries and released while Shakur was listed in critical condition.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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Beijing chose not to participate in the proceedings and maintains that the award was politically motivated and invalid.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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The bills were sent to their home after bouncing back from a Colleyville company with an address that was either invalid or fictional.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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The veteran would be a small upgrade in the outfield for the Padres.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
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Only a small portion of the materials include these references.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Treaties signed under coercion became formally void, neutrality no longer required impartiality, and leaders who committed aggressive acts of war could be held criminally responsible.—
Oona A. Hathaway,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
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Ferran Torres deputised well during that spell, but more firepower is needed to fill the goalscoring void during Lewandowski’s absences.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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This time, however, the mound visit had little effect.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 July 2025
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But most of the middle part is missing, and there’s little to explain how the event unfolded from one stage to the next.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The incumbents protect the fort until the fort is worthless (cliche cf.—
Forrester,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Barring a last-second surprise, their bets are scheduled to expire worthless when the clock strikes 11 p.m. Texas local time.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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And when detecting the artist approaching flow, the device would emit a subtle cue — a slight change in the sound of their instrument or the lighting — to give the brain a subconscious boost and thereby accelerate and enhance one’s immersion into flow.—
Brandon Sneed,
Rolling Stone,
6 July 2025
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Obviously, the lack of IBIS won't matter in the slightest for astrophotography.—
Kimberley Lane,
Space.com,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
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