moot
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moot
debatable; undecided: a moot point; disputable, unsettled
Not to be confused with:
mute – silent; refraining from speech; incapable of speech; to deaden or muffle the sound of
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
moot
(mo͞ot)adj.
1.
a. Subject to debate; arguable or unsettled: "It is a moot point whether Napoleon Bonaparte was born a subject of the King of France" (Norman Davies).
b. Of no practical importance; irrelevant: "[He] was appearing as a goodwill gesture, since the competition was moot for him; he had long ago qualified for inclusion in the games" (Mark Levine).
2. Law
a. Not presenting an open legal question, as a result of the occurrence of some event definitively resolving the issue, or the absence of a genuine case or controversy.
b. Of no legal significance; hypothetical.
tr.v. moot·ed, moot·ing, moots
1.
a. To bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate. See Synonyms at broach1.
b. To discuss or debate: "The notion of eliminating the corporate income tax has been mooted in tax circles for years" (Francis X. Clines).
2. To render (a subject or issue) irrelevant: "The F.C.C.'s ability to regulate the broadcast media rested on the finite nature of the spectrum, and that has been mooted by the infinity of cable" (William Safire).
3. Law
a. To argue (a case) in a moot court.
b. To render (a legal issue or question) irrelevant.
n.
1. Law
a. The discussion or argument of a hypothetical case by law students as an exercise.
b. A hypothetical case used for such a discussion or argument.
2. An ancient English meeting, especially a representative meeting of the freemen of a shire.
[Middle English, meeting, from Old English mōt, gemōt.]
moot′ness n.
Usage Note: The adjective moot is originally a legal term going back to the 1500s. It derives from the noun moot in its sense of a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students. The noun moot in turn goes back to an Old English word meaning "a meeting, especially one convened for legislative or judicial purposes." Consequently, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. But in the mid-1800s, people also began to look at the hypothetical side of moot as its essential meaning, and they started to use the word to mean "of no significance or relevance." Thus a moot point, however debatable, is one that has no practical value. A number of critics have objected to this usage, but in our 2008 survey 83 percent of the Usage Panel accepted it in the sentence The nominee himself chastised the White House for failing to do more to support him, but his concerns became moot when a number of Republicans announced that they, too, would oppose the nomination. This represents a significant increase over the 59 percent that accepted the same sentence in 1988. Writers who use this word should be sure that the context makes clear which sense of moot is meant. It is often easier to use another word, such as debatable or irrelevant.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
moot
(muːt)adj
1. subject or open to debate: a moot point.
2. having no practical relevance
vb
3. (tr) to suggest or bring up for debate
4. (Education) (intr) to plead or argue theoretical or hypothetical cases, as an academic exercise or as vocational training for law students
n
5. (Education) a discussion or debate of a hypothetical case or point, held as an academic activity
6. (Historical Terms) (in Anglo-Saxon England) an assembly, mainly in a shire or hundred, dealing with local legal and administrative affairs
[Old English gemōt; compare Old Saxon mōt, Middle High German muoze meeting]
ˈmooter n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
moot
(mut)adj.
1. open to discussion or debate; debatable; arguable.
2. of little or no practical value or meaning; hypothetical; purely academic.
v.t. 3. to present or introduce for discussion.
4. to reduce or remove the practical significance of; make theoretical or academic.
5. Archaic. to argue (a case), esp. in a mock court.
n. 6. an assembly of the people in early England, exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers.
7. an argument or discussion, esp. of a hypothetical legal case.
[before 900; Middle English mot(e) meeting, assembly, Old English gemōt; akin to meet1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
moot
Past participle: mooted
Gerund: mooting
| Imperative |
|---|
| moot |
| moot |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | moot - a hypothetical case that law students argue as an exercise; "he organized the weekly moot" causa, lawsuit, suit, case, cause - a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy; "the family brought suit against the landlord" law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" |
| Verb | 1. |  moot - think about carefully; weigh; "They considered the possibility of a strike"; "Turn the proposal over in your mind"see - deliberate or decide; "See whether you can come tomorrow"; "let's see--which movie should we see tonight?" premeditate - consider, ponder, or plan (an action) beforehand; "premeditated murder" debate - argue with one another; "We debated the question of abortion"; "John debated Mary" wrestle - engage in deep thought, consideration, or debate; "I wrestled with this decision for years" hash out, talk over, discuss - speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion; "We discussed our household budget" think twice - consider and reconsider carefully; "Think twice before you have a child" |
| Adj. | 1. | moot - of no legal significance (as having been previously decided) law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order" irrelevant - having no bearing on or connection with the subject at issue; "an irrelevant comment"; "irrelevant allegations" |
| 2. |  moot - open to argument or debate; "that is a moot question"controversial - marked by or capable of arousing controversy; "the issue of the death penalty is highly controversial"; "Rushdie's controversial book"; "a controversial decision on affirmative action" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
moot
verb
adjective
1. debatable, open, controversial, doubtful, unsettled, unresolved, undecided, at issue, arguable, open to debate, contestable, disputable How long he'll be able to do so is a moot point.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
moot
verb2. To speak together and exchange ideas and opinions about:
Slang: rap.
Idiom: go into a huddle.
In doubt or dispute:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
moot
[muːt]A. ADJ it's a moot point or question → es un punto discutible
B. VT it has been mooted that → se ha sugerido que ...
when the question was first mooted → cuando se discutió la cuestión por primera vez
when the question was first mooted → cuando se discutió la cuestión por primera vez
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
moot
[ˈmuːt] vtto be mooted (= suggested) → être évoqué moot pointmoot point n → point m discutable
This is a moot point → C'est un point discutable.
Whether he was serious is a moot point → Qu'il ait été sérieux est un point discutable.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
moot
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995