ex nihilo

ex ni·hi·lo
UK/ɛks ˈniː.əˌləʊ̯/UK/-ˈnaɪ̯-/UK/-ˈnɪ-/Canada/-ˈnʌɪ̯-/

prepositional phrase

Out of nothing.

OriginLatin (creātiō) ex nihilō →
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. Out of nothing.

    This creation ex nihilo came into being in a manner completely opposed to the ordinary course of natural law.

    1996, Macy Nulman, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer, page 320

Origin

  1. Latin(creātiō) ex nihilō“(creation) out of nothing”
  2. Englishex nihilo

Learned borrowing from Latin (creātiō) ex nihilō (“(creation) out of nothing”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

ex nihilo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo

MLA

“ex nihilo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ex nihilo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ex%20nihilo.

Source: ex nihilo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.