nil

plural nils

1. uncountableusuallyNothing; zero.

   As to Aristotle's influence on him, we are left free to conjecture whatever seems to us most plausible. For my part, I should suppose it nil.

   1946, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, I.19

   2 more examples

   Sedatives, contrary to popular lay and medical opinion, are invaluable in those who are not aided by the simpler means. Bromides, barbital and its innumerable offspring may be used with success, their administration being supplemented with a word of warning as to the evasion of any advice from the community grandmothers contrary to its use. The danger of forming a habit is to my mind nil, except in the few instances in which patients have felt that if a little is good more is better. The necessity for not advising the patient of the nature of the remedy, except that it is not a “dope,” is obvious. An alternation of remedies is advisable in long standing cases, and its practice never reveals any tendency to habit formation.

   1928 December 15, Frank J. Hirschboeck, “Treatment of Functional Heart Disease”, in The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 91, number 24, →DOI, page 1855

   [T]he overall freedom of a corpse is nil because a corpse is not someone to whom social and political liberty (or unfreedom) can ever correctly be ascribed.

   2003, Matthew H[enry] Kramer, “Freedom and Force”, in The Quality of Freedom, Oxford, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 2008, →ISBN, chapter 3 (Instances of Freedom), page 254

2. uncountableusuallyhobbiesA score of zero

   The football match ended in a nil-nil draw.

1. No, not any.

   But after two or three hours and nil results, you have to accept that the trail is cold and you can't justify that level of manpower.

   1982, Gavin Lyall, Conduct of Major Maxim, Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

1. abbreviationinitialismuncountableengineeringInitialism of nanoimprint lithography.
2. CanadaUSabbreviationinitialismuncountablelawInitialism of name, image, and likeness.

   In states that have passed NIL-related laws – Alabama, Florida and Georgia, among others – athletes would be able to participate in NIL activities that are “consistent with the laws.”

   2021 June 28, Homero De la Fuente, “NCAA takes big step toward allowing athletes to profit from name, image or likeness”, in CNN