English Writing Tips | Part-6

Definition

Whether the chicken or the egg came first is a meaningless issue. This phrase has its roots in British law, where it was used to indicate a topic for debate during a moot, or student assembly, of lawyers. Its current meaning was being used more liberally by the early 1700s.

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Examples

A moot point can be used to express three separate ideas:

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1. Moot point can be used as an adjective to denote a situation that is up for dispute but has no bearing on actual affairs. It can also indicate improbability or questionable.

Example: Since the deadline has passed, she no longer needs a reference letter for her application today.

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2. Moot point, when used as a verb, designates something as being irrelevant for practical reasons. However, the verb moot can also be used to introduce a subject that is up for additional discussion or debate. 

Example: Jane’s husband suggested that their family travels to Bermuda because they were in desperate need of a vacation.

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3. Moot point is a term that can be used to refer to "a disputable or unimportant subject’ and hence works as a noun. It also refers to a legal matter that, if explored or followed, would be unworkable, not crucial, speculative, or academic. 

Example: The detective's assumption of the suspect's motivation in the case was rendered irrelevant when the DNA test revealed the thief's genuine identity.

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