What does "meaningless" mean?

1. (without purpose or value) having no purpose or importance in a particular situation. 2. (without clear information) having no clear message or information that you can understand.

How do you use "meaningless"?

Often follows 'feel' or 'seem' to describe a subjective emotional state. Commonly used to describe data, statistics, or political rhetoric.

meaningless

adj.

US //ˈminɪŋɫəs// UK //mˈiːnɪŋləs// mean·ing·less

1 without purpose or value (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

having no purpose or importance in a particular situation.

lacking significance, purpose, or value; often used to describe actions or lives that feel empty.

Example

Without a clear goal, the extra work felt completely meaningless to the team.

Example

The philosopher argued that existence is inherently meaningless unless the individual actively constructs their own sense of purpose through creative action.

Usage

Often follows 'feel' or 'seem' to describe a subjective emotional state.
2 without clear information (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

having no clear message or information that you can understand.

lacking semantic content or logical coherence; describing data or language that conveys no information.

Example

The computer error produced a long string of meaningless numbers and symbols.

Example

The witness provided a series of meaningless statements that failed to clarify his whereabouts on the night of the incident.

Usage

Commonly used to describe data, statistics, or political rhetoric.
- informative
- coherent

Origin

From meaning + -less.