null

[ nuhl ]

adjective

1. without value, effect, consequence, or significance.
2. being or amounting to nothing; nil; lacking; nonexistent.
3. Mathematics. (of a set)
   1. empty.
   2. of measure zero.
4. being or amounting to zero.

noun

1. Electronics. a point of minimum signal reception, as on a radio direction finder or other electronic meter.

verb (used with object)

1. to cancel; make null.

null

/ nʌl /

adjective

1. without legal force; invalid; (esp in the phrase null and void )
2. without value or consequence; useless
3. lacking distinction; characterless

   a null expression

4. nonexistent; amounting to nothing
5. maths
   1. quantitatively zero
   2. relating to zero
   3. (of a set) having no members
   4. (of a sequence) having zero as a limit
6. physics involving measurement in which an instrument has a zero reading, as with a Wheatstone bridge

null

/ nŭl /

1. Of or relating to a set having no members or to zero magnitude.

Word History and Origins

Origin of null¹

1555–65; < Latin nūllus, equivalent to n ( e ) not + ūllus any

Word History and Origins

Origin of null¹

C16: from Latin nullus none, from ne not + ullus any

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. null and void, without legal force or effect; not valid:

   This contract is null and void.

Example Sentences

Researchers could only conjecture about why that might be the case, because the null ritual forced them to assume that there is no effect.

From Science News

If you’re a crypto advertiser, your existing certification will soon be null.

From Search Engine Land

To me the null hypothesis is that that natural barefoot or minimal shoe is probably healthier than a more conventional shoe unless you can prove otherwise.

From Freakonomics

To test that, we also should consider a null hypothesis — one that states there’s no effect of a tea cozy.

From Science News For Students

If an fMRI study ends up with a null or lackluster result, you can’t always go back and run another version of the study.

From Nautilus

“A suspended sentence becomes null and void after a certain period of time,” Rofugaran said.

From The Daily Beast

Because all of the Rescued Film Project images are scanned to digital, the necessity of a darkroom is null.

From The Daily Beast

All this means the Constitutional Court could declare election results null and void.

From The Daily Beast

Thus, a law that is unjust is morally null and void, and must be defied until it is legally null and void as well.

From The Daily Beast

Journals aren't interested in null results or "yup, we replicated that other study"; they want new studies with new findings.

From The Daily Beast

It also declared the acts of any partnership into which such spiritual person had been introduced to be null and void.

From Project Gutenberg

Everything which the revolutionary party had done since August 18,1789, was declared null and void.

From Project Gutenberg

In either case, according to the learned Dr. Sicklewit, the ceremony is utterly null and void of effect.

From Project Gutenberg

He had alleged that she was a woman of no character, and he had further alleged that their marriage was null and void.

From Project Gutenberg

There is no qualification that if we do not deem them legal we can treat them as null and void.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ineffective
• inoperative
• invalid
• unreal
• worthless