nullity

[ nuhl-i-tee ]

/ ˈnʌl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nullity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural nul·li·ties for 2–4.

the state or quality of being null; nothingness; invalidity.

something null.

something of no legal force or validity.

a person of negligible importance.

RELATED WORDS

naught, zero, cipher, nonentity, zilch

Nearby words

Origin of nullity

From the Medieval Latin word nūllitās, dating back to 1560–70. See null, -ity

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

Examples from the Web for nullity

Both conditions, especially the second, render the whole project a nullity.
Arab Spring Comment Was a Romney Love Letter to the Israeli Right Wing|Michael Tomasky|July 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Where legislatures enact laws against opinion, their acts are a nullity and absurdity.
The Battle of The Press|Theophila Carlile Campbell
It is not necessary here to discuss the question of the validity or nullity of the bonds.
The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Jefferson Davis
Hitherto he was lost in the world of Appearance; but when he thinks of it, he separates himself from it, and sees its nullity.
Homer's Odyssey|Denton J. Snider

Another impediment is based on the presumption of want of consent, "the nullity being caused by a defect of consent."
A Short History of Women's Rights|Eugene A. Hecker
From 1660 to 1688, "England, by the return of the Stuarts, was reduced to a nullity."
The Fifteen Decisive Battles of The World From Marathon to Waterloo|Edward Creasy

British Dictionary definitions for nullity

nullity

/ (ˈnʌlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state of being null

a null or legally invalid act or instrument

something null, ineffective, characterless, etc

Word Origin for nullity

C16: from Medieval Latin nullitās, from Latin nullus no, not any

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 nullity

nullity

1560s, from French nullité (14c.) or directly from Medieval Latin nullitalis, from Latin nullus "not any" (see null).