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
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
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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The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Northern California, claims the tech giant’s private arbitration order barring her from speaking about the company or promoting her bestselling book is invalid.
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Rather than defend the statute, Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a joint motion siding with the DOJ in its interpretation that the law is invalid.
Adjective
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Three other people in the vehicle, including a 6-month-old, had minor injuries, the report said.
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The adult and child had minor to moderate injuries and were taken to the hospital, the fire department said.
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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In contrast, instruments on the FireSat satellites will be able to detect small brush and roadside fires 16 feet across.
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At the Cannes Film Festival in May, the model Toni Garrn made a striking appearance in a blue-black bustier dress embroidered with small petals.
Adjective
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Selena Gomez took the little black dress to a new level ahead of longtime friend Taylor Swift’s wedding.
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That little green or yellow can in the grocery store that boasts pictures of pears, cherries, grapes, and other fruit on the label?
Adjective
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Still, Twain squandered his own fortune and Livy’s inheritance on developing Paige’s invention, even as the Mergenthaler Linotype became the industry standard, rendering Paige’s machine worthless.
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Bitcoin is either digital gold or worthless.
Adjective
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In 2024, roughly 48,800 Americans died by suicide, a slight decrease from the peak of nearly 49,500 deaths in this manner in 2022.
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Matching trousers stayed narrow through the hips before loosening down the leg into a slight flare.
Adjective
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The aesthetic philosophy runs through every decision, including ones that might seem trivial.
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In reality, the origin is completely trivial.
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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