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
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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Many argue that signatures are invalid because signers listed incorrect addresses or live outside of the district the candidate wants to represent.
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Some associations would deny the requests over invalid online registrations, and some residents would accuse their community of overzealous rule enforcement.
Adjective
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Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami that slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup.
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Nearly four-fifths of respondents said that gas prices present some sort of strain, with 34% categorizing it as a major strain and 44% calling it a minor strain.
Adjective
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And since the Lightning have regularly been void of a first-round pick, they’re used to spending a lot of time waiting to make their selections.
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The void being filled is not a very large one, either, Schaefer said, noting that only 2 percent of the flying public chose Spirit.
Adjective
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Name the worry out loud, then choose a small boundary that protects your energy, such as turning off notifications during a demanding task.
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People milled about clutching small rainbow flags from the human rights organization Outright International.
Adjective
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Yet at the individual and family level, there was little.
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For example, when the question comes up if a certain weird little alien on a space bus who sounds unmistakably like Seth Rogen is actually Rogen.
Adjective
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If Iran can still open and shut the Strait at will or charge fees on it, does that mean this agreement is worthless?
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That is compliance, and compliance is worthless in a transformation.
Adjective
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There's a marginal risk of severe weather near the Twin Cities, with a slight risk in the central and northwestern part of the state.
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Man, to see that Curaçao player — in a moment that’s quite important to him, that is earned over so many years of effort — give a slight nod to the invisible man, that warms my heart and brings a smile to my face.
Adjective
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These statements are not trivial.
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My polite reply to her email doesn't amount to anything more than a trivial note.
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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