nugatory \NOO-guh-tor-ee\ adjective
1 : of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential
2 : having no force : inoperative
Example sentence: The team's heartbreaking loss in the first game of the championship
series was rendered nugatory after they came back to win the next four.
Did you know? "Nugatory," which first appeared in English in the 17th century, comes from the Latin adjective "nugatorius" and is ultimately a derivative of the noun "nugae," meaning "trifles." Like its synonyms "vain," "idle," "empty," and "hollow," "nugatory" means "without worth or significance." But while "nugatory" suggests triviality or insignificance ("a monarch with nugatory powers," for example), "vain" implies either absolute or relative absence of value (as in "vain promises"). "Idle" suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect (as in "idle speculations"). "Empty" and "hollow" suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or genuineness (as in "an empty attempt at reconciliation" or "a hollow victory").
2 comments:
word of the day! what a great idea...and what a great word. I love words and their origins and their history. Fun stuff.
Hey, Jay Are is here too!
I like that word...I have a "Nugatory" sister in law!
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