moot
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.
Chiefly Law. not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.
to present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.
to reduce or remove the practical significance of; make purely theoretical or academic.
Archaic. to argue (a case), especially in a mock court.
an assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers.
an argument or discussion, especially of a hypothetical legal case.
Obsolete. a debate, argument, or discussion.
Origin of moot
1word story For moot
In 16th-century England, a moot was “a hypothetical case or point for law students to practice on.” This is where we get the terms moot point and moot court. Moot later developed the sense “open to discussion, debatable, doubtful,” and finally “impossible to be settled.” In American legal usage in the first half of the 19th century, moot developed an additional sense “having no effect, purely academic, abstract” (now used only outside legal contexts), but American usage also retained the original sense “remaining open for debate or consideration,” leaving the meaning of moot point in conversation up for grabs: Is it a debatable point, or irrelevant?
Other words for moot
Opposites for moot
Other words from moot
- mooter, noun
- mootness, noun
Words that may be confused with moot
- moot , mute
Words Nearby moot
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use moot in a sentence
Plus, if Democrats win the Senate runoff races in Georgia, they’ll control all levers of government in Washington — and most, if not all, of these fights will become moot in two months.
Are we at risk of a Christmas government shutdown? | Amber Phillips | December 2, 2020 | Washington PostAnd, of course, they render moot the temptation to cheat, reducing the incidence of unethical behavior.
An argument for giving kids open-book tests during the pandemic (and after) | Valerie Strauss | November 30, 2020 | Washington PostLawyers for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and other groups say the state settlement doesn’t moot their suit, and they urged a federal judge not to grant Bluestone’s request to throw out the case.
This Billionaire Governor’s Coal Company Might Get a Big Break From His Own Regulators | by Ken Ward Jr. | September 17, 2020 | ProPublicaThe appellate court’s move made moot the companies’ promises to pack up and leave the state if forced to comply.
Sacramento Report: San Diego Bills Survive Bad Day for Housing Proposals | Andrew Keatts and Sara Libby | August 21, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoEqually the perennial question of, “Where should the product team sit” becomes moot, which could encourage more cross-team collaboration.
The closure of newsrooms is a symbolic end of a publishing era | Lara O'Reilly | August 18, 2020 | Digiday
At the end of the day, those debates were basically moot because Maliki made it impossible.
If the answer is “no,” the question of whether the tactics are successful becomes moot.
Never Forget? The CIA Report and the Problem With Hindsight | Philip Mudd | March 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut the positives are moot if people fail to recognize the problem of eWaste and to realize they can do their part to reduce it.
ecoATM offers consumers a new way to sell used cell phones and electronic devices | Sarah Langs | September 1, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe question of whether the story is fit for publication is now moot.
If Gov. Dave Heineman wants the job, I suspect he'll win the primary in a landslide, making this post a moot point.
After a long talk during which we fixed up a good many moot points, went on to see General d'Amade.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonBesides drawing up the treaty of peace, the Congress of Paris settled various moot points in international law.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year | Edwin EmersonThe only moot point seemed to be whether he intended to slay the whole mob or be selective and cut down only important members.
"And That's How It Was, Officer" | Ralph SholtoThe effect of periods of depression, such as 1903 and 1908, upon the proportion of low-grade tonnage is a moot point.
Railroads: Rates and Regulations | William Z. RipleyIf we relied only on the rude representations painted on the vases, the question might be a moot one.
Ancient and Modern Ships. | George C. V. Holmes
British Dictionary definitions for moot
/ (muːt) /
subject or open to debate: a moot point
(tr) to suggest or bring up for debate
(intr) to plead or argue theoretical or hypothetical cases, as an academic exercise or as vocational training for law students
a discussion or debate of a hypothetical case or point, held as an academic activity
(in Anglo-Saxon England) an assembly, mainly in a shire or hundred, dealing with local legal and administrative affairs
Origin of moot
1Derived forms of moot
- mooter, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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