meaningless sentence

USAGE SUMMARY

"meaningless sentence" can be used in written English.
It usually refers to a sentence that does not convey any meaningful information, or is completely unrelated to the context. Example: His comments were nothing more than a meaningless sentence.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The question that Carrie would be typing, as she sat smoking in her underwear, would be: "When does a relationship become 'a relationship'?" Mr Laws has been far too apologetic about breaking this preposterous rule against "renting accommodation from a partner", which is a meaningless sentence when nobody knows what a "partner" really is.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

A wild river of words poured from her. Random words, meaningless sentences.

The New York Times - Magazine

The aim was to examine the effects of pitch change in the native (Italian) and foreign (French) languages, and in meaningless sentences preserving the intonational contour of the mother tongue (jabberwocky).

Cortex

However, a cross-cultural study of vocal emotion judgements [31] found that when meaningless sentences were read in different emotional styles by German actors, participants whose language was more distant from German were less accurate.

Plosone

Freyman and collegues, for example, used meaningless sentences with target words at fixed locations, which provide no semantic or syntactic information.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

For meaningless sentences with a known syntactic structure, the probability is still approximately 50%%. 1 These data not only show that there is more contextual information on the word than on the phoneme level (as expected), but also that there is a major contribution of nonsemantic information.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

Watch out for vague or meaningless sentences and be especially aware of unintended meanings.

WikiHow

After a furious response by the people he was talking about, this was transcribed by Hansard as "stopped", rendering the sentence meaningless.

The Guardian - Opinion

Because peace without security is as meaningless as the sentence "Bobble dong Wednesday intercourse boatshed of drive to Canada with dog in a roof rack oblong nasty?" It should be evident that there can be no true peace without mutual acceptance.

Vice

Now a sentence with meaningless parts might well pass some test especially if the test involves its being combined with other sentences that can have meaningless parts.

SEP

That opening sentence, while meaningless to you -- the readers -- is quite accurate to me.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To enhance clarity, follow "meaningless sentence" with a brief explanation or example of the sentence you're referring to. This provides concrete context for your assessment.

Common error

Avoid simply labeling a sentence as "meaningless" without explaining why. Provide concrete examples or reasons to support your claim. Otherwise, your assessment lacks credibility and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "meaningless sentence" functions as a critical descriptor, labeling a sentence as lacking significance or coherent content. As Ludwig AI clarifies, it denotes a sentence that fails to convey meaningful information or relates poorly to its context.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "meaningless sentence" is a descriptor used to identify a sentence that lacks coherent content or relevance. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and used to critique statements that fail to convey meaningful information. While its formality is neutral, it appears across diverse contexts such as news, science, and general writing. To use it effectively, provide concrete context and justification when labeling a sentence as "meaningless", clarifying why it lacks significance. Consider alternatives like "empty phrase" or "nonsensical statement" for nuanced expression. The key is to ensure clarity and specificity in your critique.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

empty phrase

Focuses on the lack of substance in the phrase itself.

nonsensical statement

Emphasizes the lack of logical sense in the statement.

vacuous remark

Highlights the emptiness and lack of intelligence in the remark.

pointless utterance

Stresses the lack of purpose or value in the utterance.

inane comment

Suggests the comment is silly and foolish.

unintelligible sentence

Focuses on the difficulty in understanding the sentence's meaning.

senseless expression

Emphasizes the lack of reason or logic in the expression.

hollow declaration

Highlights the insincerity and lack of depth in the declaration.

fatuous assertion

Suggests the assertion is foolish and self-satisfied.

idle words

Emphasizes that words are lazy, careless and have little purpose.

FAQs

How can I identify a "meaningless sentence"?

A "meaningless sentence" typically lacks a clear subject, verb, or object, fails to convey a coherent thought, or is irrelevant to the surrounding context. It may also contain contradictory or nonsensical elements.

What are some alternatives to using the phrase "meaningless sentence"?

You can use alternatives like "empty phrase", "nonsensical statement", or "vacuous remark" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it always appropriate to describe a sentence as "meaningless"?

No, it's crucial to provide context and justification when using the term "meaningless sentence". Simply labeling a sentence as such without further explanation can be dismissive and unhelpful. Offer specific reasons why the sentence lacks meaning.

What's the difference between a "meaningless sentence" and a grammatically incorrect sentence?

A grammatically incorrect sentence violates the rules of grammar, while a "meaningless sentence" may be grammatically sound but lacks coherence or relevance. A "meaningless sentence" might adhere to grammatical rules, but still fails to convey a clear or logical thought.