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• nil
  nil

  noun

  nothing; naught; zero.
• NIL
  NIL

  abbreviation

  name, image, likeness: aspects of a collegiate athlete’s identity for which they may earn money from a third party, as for advertising sponsorship or merchandise sales, although they are prohibited from being paid directly by colleges and universities for their participation in intercollegiate sports.

nil

¹ American  

[nil] / nɪl /

noun

1. nothing; naught; zero.

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adjective

1. having no value or existence.

   His credit rating is nil.

NIL ² American  

abbreviation

1. name, image, likeness: aspects of a collegiate athlete’s identity for which they may earn money from a third party, as for advertising sponsorship or merchandise sales, although they are prohibited from being paid directly by colleges and universities for their participation in intercollegiate sports.

   Student-athletes should report NIL activities consistent with state law or school and conference requirements to their school.

   The NCAA decision about NIL has forever changed college football, allowing players to make money for the first time.

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nil British  

/ nɪl /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of nil¹

First recorded in 1805–15; from Latin nīl, variant of nīlum, contraction of nihilum “nothing,” equivalent to ne- “not” + hīlum “trifle”

Origin of NIL²

First recorded in 2021; by abbreviation

Explanation

Use the word nil to mean "zero," especially when you're talking about scores in a sporting event: "the final score was twelve-nil." Saying nil instead of zero or nothing is much more common in Britain than in the United States. In the U.S. you might hear a tennis score include the word nil, while in the U.K. it's a common term for cricket and football scores as well. There's also a common British medical usage, "nil by mouth," a doctor's instruction not to eat or drink before surgery. Nil is a contraction of the Latin word for "nothing," nihil.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nil NIL

Premium sports franchises have spiked in value so rapidly that sticker shock is nil.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

I think the chances of that are basically nil, as the news cycle is already moving on.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

“This means that the probability of switching into a lower-carry, higher-rate regime is probably not nil, and is less easily priced by the market,” Fink added.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

But the odds Labour lawmakers would approve such reforms are nil, and the argument for elevating Mr. Streeting has more to do with his personal charm than his policy views.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

However, the prospect of that tiny marginal colony’s sustaining an exploration, conquest, and settlement of the Americas was nil.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Underwood and other flops like him are the flip side of college football’s NIL success stories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

The NIL market will reach an estimated $4.5 billion for the 2026-2027 school year, according to Opendorse, which connects athletes with brands and tracks endorsement trends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

His NIL contract was then terminated by House of Victory, according to the lawsuit, on the basis of a “morals clause” in the agreement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

The complaint alleges that House of Victory, the university’s affiliated NIL collective, had yet to pay Baker-Mazara for the month of February, as is outlined in his NIL deal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

For in relation to these persons my impulse is NIL.

From The Psychology of Beauty by Ethel Dench Puffer Howes