otiose Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being
    pointless; senseless; purposeless; wasted; superfluous.
    • otiose lines in a play
    • advice is wasted words
    • a pointless remark
    • a life essentially purposeless
    • senseless violence
  2. adjective satellite producing no result or effect
    ineffectual; unavailing; futile.
    • a futile effort
    • the therapy was ineffectual
    • an otiose undertaking
    • an unavailing attempt
  3. adjective satellite disinclined to work or exertion
    lazy; slothful; indolent; faineant; work-shy.
    • faineant kings under whose rule the country languished
    • an indolent hanger-on
    • too lazy to wash the dishes
    • shiftless idle youth
    • slothful employees
    • the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy

WordNet


O"ti*ose` adjective
Etymology
L. otiosus, fr. otium ease.
Definitions
  1. Being at leisure or ease; unemployed; indolent; idle. "Otiose assent." Paley.
    The true keeping of the Sabbath was not that otiose and unrofitable cessation from even good deeds which they would enforce. Alford.

Webster 1913