moot

American  

[moot] / mut /

adjective

1. open to discussion or debate; debatable; doubtful.

   Whether that was the cause of their troubles is a moot point.

   Synonyms:

   unsettled, disputed, disputable

   Antonyms:

   indisputable

2. of little or no practical value, meaning, or relevance; purely academic.

   In practical terms, the issue of her application is moot because the deadline has passed.

3. Chiefly Law. not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.

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verb (used with object)

1. to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.

   Synonyms:

   discuss, dispute, debate

   Antonyms:

   agree

2. to reduce or remove the practical significance of; make purely theoretical or academic.

3. Archaic. to argue (a case), especially in a mock court.

noun

1. an assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers.

2. an argument or discussion, especially of a hypothetical legal case.

3. Obsolete. a debate, argument, or discussion.

moot British  

/ muːt /

adjective

1. subject or open to debate

   a moot point

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verb

1. (tr) to suggest or bring up for debate

2. (intr) to plead or argue theoretical or hypothetical cases, as an academic exercise or as vocational training for law students

noun

1. a discussion or debate of a hypothetical case or point, held as an academic activity

2. (in Anglo-Saxon England) an assembly, mainly in a shire or hundred, dealing with local legal and administrative affairs

Other Word Forms

• mooter noun
• mootness noun

Etymology

Origin of moot

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun mot(e) “meeting, assembly,” Old English gemōt; cognate with Old Norse mōt, Dutch gemoet “meeting”; meet ¹

Example Sentences

More displays like this may make that contract end date a moot point.

From BBC

Sánchez first mooted a possible ban in November, but on Tuesday, the plan was fleshed out.

From BBC

Compressing the tournament has been mooted for a while.

From BBC

It also argued that the claims were moot because the group was disbanded shortly after the lawsuit was filed.

From Los Angeles Times

The fate of the mooted all-British battle between the two heavyweights Joshua and Fury remains unclear, with speculation the former could now retire.

From Barron's

Related Words

• debatable
• problematic
• unresolved
• unsettled