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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According to the sages of Wall Street, the legacy cable/satellite/telco-TV bundle is as dead as the Diplodocus, although there are still an awful lot of customers banging around in that null set.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 Jan. 2025
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Or at least Eren couldn’t, and his conclusion ably demonstrated the scientific value of null results.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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According to a statement from the Danville Police Department, the drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries, while two other passengers in the truck were unhurt.—
Rick Hurd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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The cab driver suffered minor back and neck injuries in the crash and claimed Zangrilli was drunk but the responding officer sent the inspector on his way, telling the cabbie to file an accident report at an NYPD precinct.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The website collects your personal information and then asks you for payment methods, telling you that each one you input is invalid.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
24 Feb. 2025
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Yoon’s lawyers have also repeatedly argued that his arrest was politically motivated and that the warrant was invalid because of flaws in the way the investigation was conducted.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Have a small outdoor space but want to grow some plants and vegetables?—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The foyer is often a small space, so a hall tree can be overbearing.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Raiders in the past have been hamstrung by their ability to do large signing bonuses, by adding void years, and by converting salary cap to cash to create cap space.—
Emile Nuh,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Inside Oakland’s two courthouses, numerous courtrooms were void and dark without court clerks to record proceedings.—
Jakob Rodgers,
The Mercury News,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In many cases, these communities had gotten little federal attention for generations, Ortiz said.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
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But these little twinges the audience might feel about everyone being mortal only added, if anything, to the evening’s personal potency, and the vitality of a reconvening of the tribe that supported the Wilson sisters from the outset, along with strays picked up during the MTV years.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This makes any concessions congressional Democrats may be able to obtain from their Republican colleagues worthless.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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These pump-and-dump schemes artificially inflate stock prices, allowing the perpetrators to sell at a high price before the stock inevitably crashes, leaving investors with worthless shares.—
True Tamplin,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The bill released Saturday will fund the government through Sept. 30 and provide a slight boost to defense spending while making a moderate cut to non-defense programs.—
Deirdre Walsh,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
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Sugarcane honey is a concentrated form of sugarcane juice that has a slight licorice taste and a touch of bitterness.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to nugatory
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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