meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs 

1

: having no meaning

especially : lacking any significance

2

: having no assigned function in a language system

meaninglessly adverb

meaninglessness noun

Synonyms

• empty
• inane
• pointless
• senseless

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

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has argued the requirement is meaningless because mail ballots are time stamped upon their receipt by election officials, a position backed by Pennsylvania’s Republican secretary of state. —Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 1 Nov. 2024

Without ads, that would be a meaningless statistic. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2024

The infrastructure and bureaucracy of empire are largely meaningless in this milieu. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024

The reveal that the Road was a ruse all along also paints the many deaths that occurred during the adventure in a more horrific light—all of them were meaningless, essentially chalked down to more of Agatha’s murders. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

meaningless

adjective

mean·​ing·​less ˈmē-niŋ-ləs 

1

: having no meaning or significance

meaningless chatter

2

: lacking motive

a meaningless murder

meaninglessly adverb

meaninglessness noun