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

The judge said Tuesday that claims of unlawful interference in the CPB were now moot, since the body no longer exists.

From The Wall Street Journal

After options were explored for different sites, the proposal of a stadium built on Bramley-Moore Dock was mooted.

From BBC

Proposals, multiple points long, are being mooted by mediators racing to find a way out of this deepening quagmire.

From BBC

“Thousands of hours of labor from a variety of professionals have just been made moot because of Judge Murphy’s decision,” said Malone, who was appointed by Kennedy in June.

From The Wall Street Journal

Whether Russell can achieve such karma against the mighty France is a moot point, but if he does then Scotland must have a fighting chance.

From BBC

Related Words

• debatable
• problematic
• unresolved
• unsettled