nil

[nil]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nil ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

nothing; naught; zero.

adjective

having no value or existence: His credit rating is nil.

Origin of nil

1805–15; < Latin nīl, variant (by apocope) of nīlum, contraction of nihilum nothing, equivalent to ni (variant of ne not) + hīlum trifle

nil admirari

[neel ahd-mee-rah-ree; English nil ad-mi-rair-ahy, -rair-ee]

Latin.

to wonder at nothing.

nil desperandum

[neel des-pe-rahn-doo m; English nil des-puh-ran-duh m]

Latin.

never despair.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for nil

none, nix, zero, nothing, naught, nought, nihil

Examples from the Web for nil

Contemporary Examples of nil

They knew that as much as they tried to make up for it with brute force, their cultural power was nil.
Of Gamers, Gates, and Disco Demolition: The Roots of Reactionary Rage
Arthur Chu
October 16, 2014
USA had four points (three for a win over Ghana, one for the draw with Portugal, nil for Thursday's defeat).
Why It’s Still OK to Hate Sexy Bastard Cristiano Ronaldo After He Saved Team USA
Emily Shire
June 26, 2014
The chances of even the most “conscious” rap creating a return to the Great Society were nil.
How Barack and Michelle Have Normalized Black Prominence
John McWhorter
May 30, 2014
Sadly, the chances of the government taking any notice are pretty close to nil.
Britain’s Weight Crisis Almost Hits U.S. Proportions
Dan Jones
February 21, 2013
They may be nil, they may be enormous, or (more likely) they may fall somewhere in between.
Why I Supported The Palestine U.N. Vote
Jay Michaelson
November 30, 2012

Historical Examples of nil

Nil admirari is the motto of the Man of Taste in Building, where he is naturally at home.
De Libris: Prose and Verse
Austin Dobson
The practical effect of this was nil, for there was no longer anything to enforce.
A History of the United States
Cecil Chesterton
At Dover the dock-people had generously charged me “nil” for dues.
The Voyage Alone in the Yawl "Rob Roy"
John MacGregor
In this little paper let us keep to the text of nil nisi bonum.
Roundabout Papers
William Makepeace Thackeray
Nil desperandum; keep up your courage, and all will go well.
The Young Llanero
W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for nil

nil

noun

another word for nothing: used esp in the scoring of certain games

Word Origin for nil

C19: from Latin

nil desperandum

sentence substitute

never despair

Word Origin for nil desperandum

from Latin, literally: nothing to be despaired of

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

Word Origin and History for nil

"nothing," 1833, from Latin nil, contraction of nihil, nihilum "nothing, not at all; in vain," from ne- "not" (see un-) + hilum "small thing, trifle," of unknown origin.