moot point



moot point

A debatable question, an issue open to argument; also, an irrelevant question, a matter of no importance. For example, Whether Shakespeare actually wrote the poem remains a moot point among critics, or It's a moot point whether the chicken or the egg came first. This term originated in British law where it described a point for discussion in a moot, or assembly, of law students. By the early 1700s it was being used more loosely in the present sense.
See also: point

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Donatien-French
Rothaid-Ancient Germanic
Diot-Medieval English
EfigÊNia-Portuguese (Brazilian)
Jaidev-Indian, Hindi
SyntycheSIN-tə-kee (English)Biblical, Biblical Greek, Ancient Greek