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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Shut out, Morales campaigns for a null vote In late July, the former president began actively campaigning for the invalid vote.—
Mollie J. Cohen,
The Conversation,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Morales, barred from running due to term limits and facing an arrest warrant on statutory rape charges, urged supporters to cast null ballots in protest.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In December 2022, Kendra Licari was arrested and charged with two counts of stalking a minor, two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime and one count of obstruction of justice, according to the arrest warrant obtained by NBC News.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Licari's mom was arrested and charged with two counts of stalking a minor and two counts of communicating with another to commit a crime, according to NBC News.—
Beth Sobol,
People.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The board’s bylaws state only the chair or someone authorized by the chair can call a meeting, so any decisions made during that meeting and subsequent meetings held after are invalid, the injunction states.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
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What To Know In an August 1 judicial interpretation, China's Supreme People's Court announced that employment contracts that exclude social-insurance contributions are invalid.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Taking place in small and large cities in nearly every state, the events are designed to build on the momentum of other large-scale protests including No Kings Day in June and Good Trouble Lives On in July.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
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The slightly smaller Packer Style Ham (17 pounds) sold for $18,500.—
Andy Humbles,
The Tennessean,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Terron Armstead’s retirement and Calais Campbell’s departure to Arizona left a massive leadership void in the locker room.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Aug. 2025
-
The no-confidence motion is rendered void, and Dalton is reinstated as PM.—
Jack King,
Vulture,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In an environment like that of Gaza today, where most people live in tents or shelters with very little clean water, and with much of the sewage system destroyed, illness is rife and people with weakened immunity are at even greater risk, all the aid agencies said.—
Dawoud Abu Alkas,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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When her husband pulled out the tall decorative sticks from the vase to investigate, the family discovered a hidden stash of makeup carefully collected by their little boy, who clearly had an interest in her cosmetics.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That support helped plenty, but would have been worthless without serious drive and hard work, as well as Navarro’s two years at the University of Virginia.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
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Anything less than a total social reckoning—a complete psychological makeover of white America—was worthless.—
Book Marks
August 21,
Literary Hub,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Interestingly, that slight cool-off has come as the recovery has continued.—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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New polling from Data for Progress finds a slight majority of likely voters oppose the president's plan, including 78% of Black Americans.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nugatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nugatory. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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