vestigial
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Companies have skimped on dividends amid an epic bull run for stock prices, leaving the S&P 500’s yield of just 1.1% looking like finance’s vestigial tailbone—an evolutionary holdover without a clear purpose.
From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025
A vestigial instinct made him look around for who was in charge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 2025
And still, in this moment, we’re going to have to thank him for respecting the vestigial norms that he did and not being an utter sociopath each and every day.
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2024
The discovery of these vestigial eyes may help link the fossils, which are thought to be more than 400 million years old, more directly with their descendants, clarifying their place on the arachnid family tree.
From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2024
“My doctor said, ‘Ewa, be careful with cholesterol,’ ” recalled Gora, whose vestigial Old World sense of propriety had her dressed in heels and makeup for every visit to Bellevue.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Vocabulary lists containing vestigial
Ender's Game
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Evolutionary Biology - High School
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