Make Your Point: MOOT

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pronounce MOOT:

MOOT.

It rhymes with "boot."

connect this word to others:

On Friends, Rachel asks, "When a guy breaks up with his girlfriend, what is an appropriate amount of time to wait before you make a move?"

They debate for a second, and then Joey cuts to the chase: "All right, Rach, the big question is, does he like you? All right? Because if he doesn't like you, this is all a moo point."

(Source)

He's pretty close!

If you dismiss something as a moot point, you're saying it doesn't matter one way or the other: it's minor, inconsequential, inapplicable, neg_____le. (Can you recall that last one? It means "so small or so unimportant that it doesn't require anyone's care or attention.") In this case, if the guy has no interest in Rachel, then it doesn't matter how long she waits after his breakup before she asks him out. It's moot.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "moot" is related to "meet" and comes from an Old English word for "meeting." We first used "moot" in English to describe meetings where law students would discuss hypothetical cases and practice their skills in arguing.

Over time, probably thanks to the popularity of phrases like "moot case," "moot question," and "moot point," the word "moot" grew to mean "unimportant: having no importance in real life or to the real situation at hand."

In other words, something moot might have been important before or in other situations, but it has no significance anymore to the current situation, so we can stop talking or thinking about it.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "The question became moot;" "It's a moot point now."

Other forms:

None are common in American English, but "moot" can also be a verb, the transitive kind: "It's been mooted." So, you can also talk about people mooting things, and talk about mootable things.

how to use it:

Pick the formal, semi-common word "moot" to quickly and concisely dismiss something as not worth worrying about any further.

You might dismiss something as a moot point, a moot question, a moot matter, a moot consideration, or a moot distinction.

Or, you might say that someone (or some situation) makes or renders something moot: "No one stayed to listen to their last song, which rendered the quality of their performance moot."

Lastly, some writers use "moot" as a transitive verb and discuss things that have been mooted, but that's not common in the US.

examples:

"Sixteen years is a long time [to develop a product]. If you have the same desire for long enough, the world will change and make your wishes moot."
— John Siracusa, as quoted by Jason Snell, The Verge, 13 March 2022

"Cook everything but the turkey the day before. This renders moot the question of how to prepare multiple dishes so they're all ready at the same time."
— Julia Turshen, Washington Post, 14 November 2017

has this page helped you understand "moot"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "moot" without saying "irrelevant" or "not worth talking about."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "I used to (worry or be concerned) about (something). But when (the situation changed), that all became moot."

Example: "I used to worry about my daughter catching a cold from her kindergarten classmates. But when the pandemic shut down the school, that all became moot."

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Market That Makeup!"

Check out the names given to the shades in a palette, and decide what to call the shade with the missing name. You might channel the vibe established by the other shade names, or just pick the weirdest or most grandiloquent name you can think of. To see the shade's real name—the one that the marketing team picked—scroll all the way down.

Try this one today:

NABLA's "Dreamy Palette" includes the shades "Immaculate," "Illusion," "Vanitas," "Delirium," "Sistina," "Metal Cupid," "Inception," "Señorita," "Rose Gold," "Lullaby," and "Dogma."

Invent a name for the first shade in the middle row:

(Source)

review this word:

1. As it's most often used in casual speech, MOOT is the opposite of

A. SILENT and SUPPRESSED.
B. PRESSING and RELEVANT.
C. FACTUAL and CERTIFIABLE.

2. If office politics are stressing you out, _____ could render them moot.

A. changing careers entirely
B. meditation or deep breathing
C. a few strategically placed boxes of donuts

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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