moot

moot
1 of 3
adjective
;m;t
Synonyms of moot
1
a
: open to question : debatable
b
: subjected to discussion : disputed
2
: deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic
moot

2 of 3
verb
mooted; mooting; moots
transitive verb

1
a
: to bring up for discussion : broach
b
: debate
2
archaic : to discuss from a legal standpoint : argue
moot

3 of 3
noun
1
: a deliberative assembly primarily for the administration of justice
especially : one held by the freemen of an Anglo-Saxon community
2
obsolete : argument, discussion


Did you know?
To describe an argument as "moot" is to say that there's no point in discussing it further. In other words, a moot argument is one that has no practical or useful significance and is fit only for theoretical consideration, as in a classroom. It's no surprise, then, that the roots of moot are entwined with academia. The adjective moot followed a few centuries behind the noun moot, which comes from m;t, an Old English word meaning "assembly." Originally, moot referred to an Anglo-Saxon deliberative assembly that met primarily for the administration of justice. By the 16th century, functioning judicial moots had diminished, the only remnant being moot courts, academic mock courts in which law students could try hypothetical cases for practice. The earliest use of moot as an adjective was as a synonym of debatable, but because the cases students tried in moot courts had no bearing on the real world, the word gained the additional sense—used especially in North America—of "deprived of practical significance."

Synonyms
Adjective

arguable
controvertible
debatable
disputable
doubtable
doubtful
issuable
negotiable
questionable
Verb

bring up
broach
introduce
place
raise
Examples of moot in a Sentence
Adjective
Among the many advantages of legislation requiring a label was that it allowed the industry to insist—in court if necessary—that claims against the companies for negligence and deception were now moot. Every smoker would be repeatedly warned that "smoking may be hazardous to your health."
—Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007
And the question of delight shouldn't be moot.
—Edward Hoagland, Harper's, June 2007
… a genuine Atlantic political culture might be the result—rendering the fears expressed in this article largely moot.
—John O'Sullivan, National Review, 6 Dec. 1999
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
Elsewhere: Two state-level trials over the Kroger-Albertsons deal recently wrapped up — one in Colorado and one in Washington — although an FTC victory could render those cases effectively moot.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Weirdly, the motherboard doesn’t have any monitor outputs, rendering the AMD Ryzen G-series CPU’s integrated graphics moot.
—PCMAG, 23 Oct. 2024
Verb
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta ruled today that billionaire Elon Musk’s PAC can keep giving away $1 million a day to registered voters in swing states through Tuesday’s election, basically mooting a case filed last week.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
Juve are now likely to look about a new central defender in the January transfer market in light of Bremer’s injury, with a potential move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Milan Skriniar being mooted.
—Emmet Gates, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History
Etymology
Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English m;t, gem;t; akin to Middle High German muoze meeting

First Known Use
Adjective

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of moot was before the 12th century
See more words from the same century
Phrases Containing moot
moot court
Articles Related to moot
vector art of man ready to cut messy balls of thread with scissors
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 2

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'Moot Point' or 'Mute Point'?

We'll get to the point.


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Dictionary Entries Near moot
moosewood

moot

mootable

Cite this Entry
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MLA
“Moot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moot. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition
moot

1 of 2
verb
;m;t
1
: to bring up for discussion
2
: debate entry 2 sense 1
moot

2 of 2
adjective
: open to question or discussion : debatable
a moot question

Legal Definition
moot

1 of 2
transitive verb
;m;t
: to make moot
statute of limitations would moot the effort
—S. R. Sontag
moot

2 of 2
adjective
: deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic
the case became moot when the defendant paid the sum at issue
 see also mootness doctrine
 compare justiciable, ripe
mootness
;m;t-n;s
 noun
Etymology
Adjective

(of a trial or hearing) hypothetical, staged for practice, from moot hypothetical case for law students, argument, deliberative assembly, from Old English m;t assembly, meeting

More from Merriam-Webster on moot
Nglish: Translation of moot for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of moot for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: 19 Nov 2024 - Updated Did you know?
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