nil

¹ American  

[nil] / nɪl /

noun

1. nothing; naught; zero.

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adjective

1. having no value or existence.

   His credit rating is nil.

NIL ² American  

abbreviation

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.

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nil British  

/ nɪl /

noun

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

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

But the odds Labour lawmakers would approve such reforms are nil, and the argument for elevating Mr. Streeting has more to do with his personal charm than his policy views.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

In just over three years, AI usage has gone from almost nil, to something 62% of Americans report using several times a week, according to the Pew Research Center.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

The water visibility was nil — just a blur of yellow, brown and eventually black.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Any other result but a four or five nil win for the Gunners would be catastrophic for Arsenal and dumbfound us all.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2024

Which meant his chances that way, too, were nil.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols