nil

¹

[ nil ]

noun

1. nothing; naught; zero.

adjective

1. having no value or existence:

   His credit rating is nil.

NIL

²

abbreviation for

1. name, image, likeness: aspects of a collegiate athlete’s identity for which they may earn money from a third party, as for advertising sponsorship or merchandise sales, although they are prohibited from being paid directly by colleges and universities for their participation in intercollegiate sports:

   Student-athletes should report NIL activities consistent with state law or school and conference requirements to their school.

   The NCAA decision about NIL has forever changed college football, allowing players to make money for the first time.

nil

/ nɪl /

noun

1. another word for nothing: used esp in the scoring of certain games

Word History and Origins

Origin of nil¹

First recorded in 1805–15; from Latin nīl, variant of nīlum, contraction of nihilum “nothing,” equivalent to ne- “not” + hīlum “trifle”

Origin of nil²

First recorded in 2021; by abbreviation

Word History and Origins

Origin of nil¹

C19: from Latin

Example Sentences

Instead they accept grant-in-aid and NIL funds.

From Los Angeles Times

Asked if she had discussed NIL considerations as one of the top swimmers in the nation with her future Cal coaches, O’Dell said, “I have not. The plan is to start talking about it next spring before I get there.”

From Los Angeles Times

The equivalent of a wealth tax was proposed by the Biden administration in a policy statement that was endorsed by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, but the chance of such a thing being proposed by Trump is plainly nil.

From Los Angeles Times

“Going into the process, I told myself that I didn’t want to be bought — you know, I wasn’t going to go somewhere because of NIL,” Toia said.

From Los Angeles Times

Bruins for Life, a new name, image and likeness arm for football, will join Champion of Westwood and Men of Westwood as one of the school’s NIL branches.

From Los Angeles Times