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.

If lawmakers have a vestigial sense of shame, they can apologize to the victims whose information was posted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

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

The newspaper endorsement is in many ways vestigial from an era when these outlets wielded vastly more cultural influence than they currently do.

From Slate • Oct. 26, 2024

Though these vestigial eyes don’t mature fully, they appear on the harvestmen’s bodies as they develop, shaped by many of the same genes as the creatures’ true eyes.

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