What does "null" mean?
A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
Null
/nʌl/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- Grammar: null is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: absent, aimless, annulled, aught.
- Useful contrasts: antinull, non-null, attribute.
- Usage evidence: How is Null expressed as a regular expression?
How to use "null"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "null" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "null" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "null" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "null" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "null" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "null", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A non-existent or empty value or set of values.
- 2 a quantity of no importance; thing (object:), singular, negative pronoun; pronoun, thing, singular; quantifier: negative existential wordnet
- 3 Zero quantity of expressions; nothing.
"The kindes of Cyphars, (beſides the Simple Cyphars with Changes, and the intermixtures of Nvlles, and Nonsignificants) are many, according to the Nature or Rule of infoulding : Wheele-Cyphars, Kay-Cyphars, Dovbles, &c."
- 4 Something that has no force or meaning.
- 5 The null character; the ASCII or Unicode character (␀), represented by a zero value, which indicates no character and is sometimes used as a string terminator.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The attribute of an entity that has no valid value.
"Since no date of birth was entered for the patient, his age is null."
- 7 One of the beads in nulled work.
- 8 The null hypothesis.
Verb
- 1 To nullify; to annul. archaic, transitive
"Thy fair enchanted cup, and warbling charms / No more on me have pow’r, their force is null’d, / So much of Adders wiſdom I have learnt / To fence my ear againſt thy Sorceries."
- 2 To return to the null position, setting, etc.
"Three factors could ameliorate the effect of a bound input shaft and bearing. The first is the elasticity of the control system linkage that, against a definable load, will permit sufficient deformation of the otherwise rigid link feedback loop to null the MPCU servo valve. The second factor is the application of a load sufficient to break loose the binding between the input shaft and bearing. The third factor is a loss of torque of the bearing in the standby rudder actuator housing to permit the rotation of the bearing and shaft together within the housing to compensate for the bound shaft."
- 3 To form nulls, or into nulls, as in a lathe.
- 4 To crack; to remove restrictions or limitations in (software). slang, transitive
"A nulled or a cracked plugin is basically a hacked version of a paid plugin that offers its premium functionalities for free."
Adjective
- 1 Having no validity; "null and void".
"And however Firmilian and S. Cyprian might be deceived in the thinking hereticks quite loſt their orders ; yet in this they were untouched, that although their ſuppoſition was queſtionable, yet their ſuperſtructure was not meddled with, viz. That if they had been Lay-perſons, their Baptizations were null and invalid."
- 2 Insignificant.
"In proportion as we descend the social scale our snobbishness fastens on to mere nothings which are perhaps no more null than the distinctions observed by the aristocracy, but, being more obscure, more peculiar to the individual, take us more by surprise."
- 3 Absent or non-existent.
"The most recent attempt to contact Pioneer 10 was on 6-7 February 2003. But in this case, the Madrid station got conclusively null results after an assiduous search."
- 4 Of the null set.
- 5 Of or comprising a value of precisely zero.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Causing a complete loss of gene function; amorphic.
- 7 Neutral.
"In normal operation, the input cranks to both the MPCU and standby rudder actuator will rotate to provide the servo valve command to the units, and the rudder will be hydraulically moved by the MPCU. The rudder movement is in turn fed back mechanically to both the MPCU and standby actuator systems so that when the rudder surface deflects to the position commanded by the pilot, the input cranks on both of the units will be returned to their null positions. Thus, there is a geometric relationship between the rudder position, the input crank of the MPCU, the torque tube, and the input crank of the standby rudder actuator that is retained during normal operation."
Adjective
- 1 lacking any legal or binding force wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"How is Null expressed as a regular expression?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "null"?
Common synonyms include: absent, aimless, annulled, aught, bad, bare.
How do you use "null" in a sentence?
How is Null expressed as a regular expression?
How do you pronounce "null"?
Pronounced /nʌl/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French nul, from Latin nūllus.