moot

1 of 3

adjective

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?

Moot derives from gemōt, an Old English name for a judicial court. Originally, moot referred to either the court itself or an argument that might be debated by one. By the 16th century, the legal role of judicial moots had diminished, and the only remnant of them were moot courts, academic mock courts in which law students could try hypothetical cases for practice. Back then, moot was used as a synonym of debatable, but because the cases students tried in moot courts were simply academic exercises, the word gained the additional sense "deprived of practical significance." Some commentators still frown on using moot to mean "purely academic," but most editors now accept both senses as standard.

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
The court ruled that the issue is now moot because the people involved in the dispute have died. I think they were wrong, but the point is moot. Their decision has been made and it can't be changed now. Verb And it was they, not the British, who slapped down any suggestion of democratic reform when it was quietly mooted by British colonial officers in the 1950s. Ian Buruma, New Republic, 24 Sept. 2001
… he looked for an easy way out. A spot in the stateside Guard would have suited him fine; in the event, he dodged and weaved until a low draft number came along to moot his problem. Hendrik Hertzberg, New Yorker, 16 & 23 Oct. 2000
And then the word comes of Ted's inoperable pancreatic cancer, and death moots the long conflict. Richard Rhodes, New York Times Book Review, 24 Dec. 2000
conservatives had shouted down the proposal when it was first mooted the issue of whether a person's nature or upbringing is more important continues to be mooted by experts and laymen alike
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The offer, which Altman accepted, ultimately became moot when he was restored to his throne at OpenAI. Kylie Robison, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 In 2021, when Trump was no longer in office, the Supreme Court ordered the lower court to vacate a ruling against Trump and dismiss it as moot. Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 15 Mar. 2024 The series hops around a lot in time and memory — Rufus and Imogene appear as witnesses in one another’s flashbacks — and is not perfectly plausible, in big and little ways, but its energy and reveals upon reveals make that moot. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2024 Operationally, the tactical range was a moot issue. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023 By denying the petition as moot and ending the case, the court found that the band turned over all the documents to Mars and there is nothing more to do. Bill Donahue, Billboard, 17 Jan. 2024 They would have also been tasked with recommending whether LaPierre should be ousted from the helm of the group, but LaPierre’s notice of resignation, on the eve of the trial, has rendered that moot. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 12 Jan. 2024 And both render the question of whether customers should prefer to source their own vision of Porsche perfection from the U.S. or the U.K. entirely moot. Michael Van Runkle, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 But justices also asked whether a bill before the Kansas Legislature might render the entire issue moot. Katie Bernard, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
Perhaps wary of such a decision’s potential impact, the Trump administration has apparently been hard at work trying to moot the case by arranging to transfer Doe to foreign custody—possibly, given his dual citizenship, to Saudi Arabia. Stephen I. Vladeck, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2018 The temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida, was mooted as an alternative before the series settled on Portland, Oregon, a move announced at the end of last year. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 28 July 2023 That was about the time that the idea of Wonka was beginning to be mooted. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2023 Google’s decision to eliminate the hidden code that allows marketers to track users’ web activities has been mooted for years. Simon Bird, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Friday that the union's ongoing strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers is securing vital concessions, mooting the need to expand the work stoppage — at least for now. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2023 There have been subsequent discussions about revisiting the issue, but there seems to be no appetite to do so, and in any case, Li’s removal would moot the issue, officials said. Cate Cadell, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2023 Trump lawyer Alina Habba said Wednesday that his legal team is confident that the jury verdict will be overturned, mooting the judge’s new decision. Jennifer Peltz, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2023 In contrast to Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann’s initial reservations when Hayek first mooted the MoonSwatch, Marc Hayek, Blancpain CEO and Nick’s nephew, was apparently dogged in his determination to be next in line. Jeremy White, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023
Noun
The Capricorn moon shows you what�s working and what isn�t. Need to prune? Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) Doubt shrouds your heart�s desires when the moot sits in Capricorn. USA TODAY, 26 Aug. 2023 Legal experts began to speculate last month that the state court's reconsideration could make the Moore case before the Supreme Court moot, meaning no decision would be necessary. Kaelan Deese, Washington Examiner, 2 Mar. 2023 But Cannon's dismissal of the case rendered Trump's pending request for the unredacted affidavit moot. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Old English mōt, gemōt; 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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near moot

Cite this Entry

“Moot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moot. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

moot

1 of 2 verb
1
: to bring up for discussion
2

moot

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

Legal Definition

moot

1 of 2 transitive verb
: to make moot
statute of limitations would moot the effortS. 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
ˈmüt-nəs
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 mōt assembly, meeting

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