Debatable or no longer practically relevant, with related uses for raising proposals, legal training exercises, old assemblies, and online mutual followers.
The lawsuit became moot after the city changed the policy.
He asked his moots for book suggestions.
She plans to moot the idea at the next meeting.
Similar words
online friend
practice court
debatable
law competition
abstract
raise
propose
broach
put forward
open
Meanings
Open to debate
adjective
discussion
neutral
Not settled, and still possible to argue about from more than one side.
Examples
Whether the rule is fair remains a moot question.
The committee treated the deadline as a moot point.
It is moot whether the old evidence would change the verdict.
The plan's legality is still moot among the lawyers.
That interpretation is moot, not settled.
Similar words
debatable
arguable
disputable
questionable
unsettled
open
No longer practical
adjective
legal
neutral
No longer able to change anything in practice, often because events have overtaken the dispute.
Examples
The lawsuit became moot after the city changed the policy.
The refund made the complaint moot.
By the time the vote happened, their objection was moot.
The appeal was dismissed because the issue was moot.
Once everyone agreed, the argument became moot.
Similar words
irrelevant
academic
abstract
hypothetical
unimportant
immaterial
Raise for discussion
verb
discussion
formal
To bring an idea, question, or proposal forward so it can be discussed.
Examples
She plans to moot the idea at the next meeting.
The reform was first mooted years ago.
Several alternatives were mooted before the vote.
He mooted a compromise that nobody expected.
The board will moot the proposal in September.
Similar words
raise
propose
suggest
broach
introduce
put forward
Mock legal exercise
noun
legal
neutral
A simulated legal argument or competition, especially one used for training law students.
Examples
The law students prepared for the international moot.
Her team won the constitutional law moot.
Each side argued before judges during the moot.
The faculty organized a practice moot for first-year students.
He learned oral advocacy through moots.
Similar words
moot court
mock court
practice court
legal simulation
law competition
Historical assembly
noun
history
archaic
An old assembly or council, especially one held to discuss public business or justice.
Examples
The village moot settled local disputes.
Freemen gathered at the moot to hear the case.
The old hall once served as a moot.
A royal order was read before the moot.
The word survives in names such as folkmoot and moot hall.
Similar words
assembly
council
meeting
gathering
tribunal
Mutual follower online
noun
social media
slang
A mutual follower on social media, usually someone who follows and interacts back.
Examples
One of my moots recommended the album.
She finally met an old moot at the concert.
My moots keep sharing the same meme.
He asked his moots for book suggestions.
The thread spread quickly through her moots.
Similar words
mutual
mutual follower
online friend
follower
Etymology
From Old English mōt and gemōt, meaning a meeting or assembly. The legal-training and debate senses grew from gatherings where questions were argued, while the social-media noun is a recent shortening of mutual.
FAQ
What does moot mean?
moot can mean debatable, no longer practical, raised for discussion, a legal exercise, an old assembly, or a social-media mutual.
What is a moot point?
A moot point may be a debatable point, or in common North American use a point that no longer matters in practice.
Is it moot point or mute point?
The standard phrase is moot point. Mute point is a common mistake.
What does moot mean as a verb?
As a verb, moot means to raise or propose something for discussion.
What is a legal moot?
A legal moot is a simulated case or argument, often used to train law students.
What does moots mean online?
Online, moots means mutual followers or people who follow and interact with each other.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
Newest
Top
Active
Autumn Hummingbird
Jul 15
this word is doing too many jobs honestly
0
Reply
Cozy Pelican
Jul 13
my moots got me through exam season, completely different universe from moot court lol
0
Reply
Silver Newt
Jul 12
In court, moot doesn't mean boring. It means there is no live dispute left for the judge to fix.
1
Reply
Early Kestrel
Jun 28
was mooted as a successor is very newspaper English to me. I wouldnt say it in a normal work chat
1
Reply
Northern Donkey
Jun 25
I still hear mute point all the time. makes sense in the brain, still wrong on the page
2
Reply
Contribution
Frosty Snail
Jun 15
moots on Twitter/TikTok is from mutuals, not from the old legal word. Usually plural: my moots, oomf and my moots, looking for new moots. A singular moot is possible but sounds more internet-inside-baseball than ordinary English.
2
Reply
Contribution
Silent Duck
Jun 13
For law students, moot is closer to appellate oral argument than a mock trial. No witnesses, no jury drama, usually just written submissions and judges interrupting you with questions.
3
Reply
Rainy Mole
Jun 14
mock trial people care about evidence and witnesses, mooters care about authorities and hypotheticals
1
Contribution
Crimson Mouse
Jun 6
The US and UK split is the trap. In a lot of American speech, a moot point is basically dead, no practical effect anymore. In British use it can still mean open to argument. If your readers are mixed, debatable or irrelevant saves a surprising amount of confusion.
6
Reply
Hazel Yak
Jun 12
yep, I learned the British sense first and US legal writing made me think I had gone mad