Null

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /nʌl/

Definitions

1. A value representing the absence of any data, object, or meaningful content in computing and programming contexts
2. A term designating the lack of any value, object, or significant information in various computing and programming scenarios
3. A keyword indicating the nonexistence of data, entity, or relevant content within programming and computer science fields

Etymology: The word "null" arrived in English from Middle French "nul", which in turn came from Latin "nūllus", meaning "not any" or "none". Its ancestry is a compound of "ne" ("not") and "ūllus" ("any"), so the Latin word already carried the sense of absence built into it. English borrowed it with that same negative force: something null is something with nothing in it. Its path into English ran through French, which is why the spelling and sound of the English word look so close to the French one. Once in English, the word stayed mostly within formal and legal contexts, where "null" describes something that has no legal force or effect, such as a null and void agreement. The sense of "having no value" in the adjective is the basic meaning that connects all these uses.

Synonyms: void, empty

Antonyms: full, valid