meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs How to pronounce meaningless (audio)
1
: having no meaning
especially : lacking any significance
2
: having no assigned function in a language system
meaninglessly adverb
meaninglessness noun

Examples of meaningless in a Sentence

He felt that his work was meaningless. The movie was filled with meaningless violence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Without the artist, the law becomes meaningless. Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025 On Saturday, a group of Texas A&M fans gathered in a hole in the LSU student section and did some of LSU’s cheers after the Tigers scored a meaningless touchdown in the final moments. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 Instead, the Gophers were just about blanked themselves, held to three meaningless second-half points. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 26 Oct. 2025 But one of them — a game that was meaningless except for one enormous reason — has become heavily scrutinized in an FBI investigation. Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for meaningless

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of meaningless was in 1796

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Cite this Entry

“Meaningless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meaningless. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

meaningless

adjective
mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs How to pronounce meaningless (audio)
1
: having no meaning or significance
meaningless chatter
2
: lacking motive
a meaningless murder
meaninglessly adverb
meaninglessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on meaningless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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