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
-
To reporters late Sunday evening and later on social media, Trump claimed the pardons are null because Biden had used an autopen rather than sign by hand.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Does her despondent demeanor and null motivation make Elsa herself an ideal pick to surrender her life?—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Three other family members, two children and one 19-year-old, suffered minor wounds.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Here is one sequence of events: U.S. legislators and the Senate pass a resolution to declare tariffs invalid.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The association had two weeks to collect new signatures or correct invalid ones to make up the difference.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Even the smallest black dot of mold can affect your health by causing respiratory illnesses or triggering certain allergic reactions from breathing it in constantly.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, the void years tacked onto it made Smith difficult to keep around, and the Lions ultimately parted ways.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
For the first time in its 157-year history, the Grand National steeplechase is declared void because of a false start.—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For starters, the clear formula comes in a cute little bottle that looks more like a serum than tanning drops.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Gone are most of the toggle switches (and the little safety protrusions that accompanied them) on the dashboard, with the exception of one for changing between drive, reverse, and neutral, plus another to switch between drive modes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The markets are already speaking: The U.S. dollar now trades for more than 1 million rials, an almost 75 percent increase from a few months ago, making the Iranian currency among the most worthless in the world (in 2015, when Iran last signed a deal with the U.S., the dollar was just 29,500 IRR).—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2025
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For his part, Zelenskyy tried to say that any agreement with Putin was worthless, as Rubio pointed out.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The rear camera's OIS yields mostly smooth video, but there's some slight bumpiness here and there.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
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Dawn came on chilly with a slight overcast and a light breeze.—
Jeffrey A. Brunk,
Outdoor Life,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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