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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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
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Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s team also provided information that could render these accusations null.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail, and three deputies were struck, causing minor injuries, the department said.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Per the Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified suspect broke in and assaulted a resident living in the home, who escaped after suffering a minor injury.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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The court ordered that four of Trump’s executive orders are invalid and must be repealed.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
30 May 2025
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The suit argues that the designation of Chuckwalla was an invalid use of the Antiquities Act, and also claims the Antiquities Act itself is unconstitutional.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
Farmers watered their crops less, and saw smaller harvests as a result.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
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Yes, Georgia and Paul split this season as the blowback from the trial — and Paul's support of Proposition 38, disastrous for small businesses — imperiled his mayoral career.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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This year’s group also includes 16 corporate CEOs, a record, and a sign of the emergence of a class of business leaders who are filling a leadership void.—
Sam Jacobs,
Time,
16 Apr. 2025
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The party has also been mired in a leadership void as former President Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris have largely remained out of the spotlight.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Until recently, there was little doctors could do to address the lack of sperm needed to fertilize an egg, other than using donor sperm.—
Alice Park,
Time,
10 June 2025
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No matter how sweet, the little crocodile grows bigger and more difficult to care for.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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If the equity portion were reduced to 57% with 3% put into bitcoin, the average return drops to 6.8% in the worthless scenario and jumps to 8.2% if bitcoin hits $1 million.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
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But without sufficient funding and additional critical measures, these proclamations are worthless words.—
Daniel Kolkey,
Oc Register,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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In a slight twist on the usual, the chefs not only get to choose their own sous-chefs, but only those sous-chefs have been flown to Italy for the occasion.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
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Bure may not have meant it as a slight, but one of the more notable offenders was Growing Pains, which costarred her brother, Kirk Cameron.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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