nugatory

  • 1nugatory — nu·ga·to·ry / nü gə ˌtōr ē, nyü / adj [Latin nugatorius, from nugari to trifle, from nugae trifles]: being without operative legal effect held that such an interpretation would render the statute nugatory Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law.… …

    Law dictionary

  • 2Nugatory — Nu ga*to*ry, a. [L. nugatorius, fr. nugari to trifle, nugae jests, trifles.] 1. Trifling; vain; futile; insignificant. [1913 Webster] 2. Of no force; inoperative; ineffectual. [1913 Webster] If all are pardoned, and pardoned as a mere act of… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3nugatory — (adj.) trifling, of no value, c.1600, from L. nugatorius worthless, trifling, futile, from nugator jester, trifler, braggart, from nugatus, pp. of nugari to trifle, jest, play the fool, from nugæ jokes, jests, trifles, of unknown origin …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4nugatory — *vain, otiose, idle, empty, hollow Analogous words: worthless, valueless (see affirmative nouns at WORTH): trifling, trivial, *petty, paltry: ineffectual, *ineffective, inefficacious: fruitless, bootless, *futile, vain, abortive …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5nugatory — ► ADJECTIVE 1) worthless. 2) useless or invalid. ORIGIN Latin nugatorius, from nugari to trifle …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6nugatory — [no͞o′gə tôr΄ē, nyo͞o′gə tôr΄ē] adj. [L nugatorius < pp. of nugari, to trifle < nugae, trifles] 1. trifling; worthless 2. not operative; invalid …

    English World dictionary

  • 7nugatory — adjective /ˈnjuːɡətəri/ a) Trivial, trifling or of little importance. I might refer to the general conviction and the common sense of society that such an investment cannot be treated as absolutely idle and nugatory. b) Ineffective, invalid or… …

    Wiktionary

  • 8nugatory — /n(y)uwgatariy/ Futile; ineffectual; invalid; destitute of constraining force or vitality. A legislative act may be nugatory because unconstitutional. Avery & Co. v. Sorrell, 157 Ga. 476, 121 S.E. 828, 829 …

    Black's law dictionary

  • 9nugatory — /n(y)uwgatariy/ Futile; ineffectual; invalid; destitute of constraining force or vitality. A legislative act may be nugatory because unconstitutional. Avery & Co. v. Sorrell, 157 Ga. 476, 121 S.E. 828, 829 …

    Black's law dictionary

  • 10nugatory check — index bad check Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary