nugatory
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈnʌɡəˌtɔri/
- Formal
:
insignificante
- His apologies were considered nugatory, as they did not address the harm he had caused.
Examples
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Despite her efforts to make a meaningful impact, her contributions felt nugatory to the overall project.
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The souvenir he bought was nugatory and not worth the price he paid.
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Your offices shall have been nugatory.
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The nugatory amount I pay isn't significant to me, much less to the government.
Blog text (16) -
Authority over internal affairs, as Hamilton quipped, would be "as troublesome as it would be nugatory."
Academic text (2002) -
It cannot mean "as much" as A has appropriated, since then the force of "enough," or "as large" in the third formulation, would be nugatory.
Academic text (1990) -
As for the scenarios where we just extend life and do not eliminate death altogether, I think you will agree that after some tipping point the distinction is nugatory because we no longer conceive of a limit and will direct our efforts to extending the lifespan further.
Blog text (26) -
The critics' legal arguments reflect an improper parsing of the UN Charter that not only renders nugatory part of the Charter, but also strips legal protections from non-signatories.
Academic text (2005)
Synonyms
30
8.2
Not important and worth very little
19
7.2
Not important or relevant to a situation
5
3.6
Not worth anything or useful
1
8.9
A person or thing that others see as worthless
Without any value or effect
Antonyms
How Worthless
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nugatory comes from the Latin word nugae, which means 'trifles' or 'little jokes'. So something nugatory is like a small, unimportant thing with no real value or effect.