otiose

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈoʊʃiˌoʊs/ UK /ˈəʊtiəʊs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
serving no practical purpose; futile or idle

The committee's otiose deliberations achieved nothing.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · serving no practical... futile useless pointless superfluous idle redundant ineffectual purposeless

Opposites

useful purposeful productive essential effective

Word family

Derived forms otioselyotiosenessotiosity

Related forms negotiate

Simplified etymology

Otiose entered English in the late 18th century and comes from Latin otium, “leisure.” It means “serving no practical purpose” or “pointless.” Otium is also one of the Latin elements behind negotiate.

Etymology

From Latin 'otiosus' ('at leisure, idle'), from 'otium' ('leisure, ease, idleness'); the modern sense 'serving no purpose' developed from the notion of idleness.

otiosus Latin otium Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# otiose

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈoʊʃiˌoʊs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈəʊtiəʊs/

## Meanings
1. serving no practical purpose; futile or idle

## Examples
- The committee's otiose deliberations achieved nothing.

## Synonyms
- futile
- useless
- pointless
- superfluous
- idle
- redundant
- ineffectual
- purposeless

## Antonyms
- useful
- purposeful
- productive
- essential
- effective

## Derived Forms
- otiosely
- otioseness
- otiosity

## Related Forms
- negotiate

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: otiosus
- Root: otium

## Etymology
From Latin 'otiosus' ('at leisure, idle'), from 'otium' ('leisure, ease, idleness'); the modern sense 'serving no purpose' developed from the notion of idleness.

## AI Etymology
Otiose is from Latin 'otiosus' ('at leisure, idle'), from 'otium' ('leisure, ease, idleness'); the modern sense 'serving no purpose' developed from the notion of idleness. In present-day use, it means serving no practical purpose; futile or idle. Derived formations include otiosely, otioseness, and otiosity. Related vocabulary includes negotiate.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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