null

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a value that means 'no data' or 'nothing' in a computer program.

n. a special marker used in programming to indicate that a data element does not have a value.

“The program crashed because the database returned a null instead of a name.”

“The developer implemented a check to ensure the function would not execute if the input variable was null.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Science Academic · Technical

n. the starting idea in a science test that says there is no change or no effect.

n. the hypothesis that there is no significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error.

“The scientists failed to reject the null during their first experiment.”

“Statistical significance was not reached, meaning the researchers could not disprove the null hypothesis regarding the drug's efficacy.”

C2 · Proficiency Computing Slang · Technical

v. to break the security on a piece of software so it can be used for free.

v. to remove digital rights management or licensing restrictions from software.

“He found a nulled version of the expensive photo editor online.”

“Using nulled software is a significant security risk as the modified code often contains hidden malware or backdoors.”