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Definitions

zero

[zeer-oh] / ˈzɪər oʊ /


Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for zero?
In math and more generally, something that has the value of zero can be described as null, as in null set and The value is null.  The word cipher was once used as another name for zero. Sometimes, the term goose egg is used as an informal way to refer to zero, especially in the context of a score, as in I scored a big ol’ goose egg on that round. Zero is commonly used in a general way to mean none or nothing. Synonyms for this sense of the word include nil, naught, nought, and aught. Sometimes the word no can be used to mean the same thing as zero, as in We lowered the price but we had no offers—and I mean zero offers.  More informal synonyms for zero in the sense of nothing include zip, zippo, zilch, nada (the Spanish word for “nothing”), diddly, and diddly-squat. The word zero can also be used as a verb meaning “to reduce to zero.” The verb phrase zero out is more commonly used, as in Zero out these totals.  Sometimes, the word zero is used to refer to a person considered completely insignificant, as in They went from zeroes to heroes. Similar words include nobody and loser, but calling someone (or yourself) any of these names is never a nice thing to say.
Where does zero come from?
The concept of zero is ancient, with recorded use dating back to ancient Mesopotamia. The word zero has been used in English since at least the 16th century. It comes from Italian, from the Medieval Latin word ​​zephirum, from the Arabic sifr, meaning “empty” or “zero.” The word cipher comes from this same Arabic root, which is a translation of the Sanskrit word śūnyā, meaning “empty.”
How do you use zero in a sentence?
Zero can be used as a noun, an adjective, and even a verb. Here are some examples of zero in a sentence:
  • Four minus four is zero. 
  • The temperature is expected to drop below zero.
  • If we don’t play, the chance of us winning is zero.
  • The school had a zero tolerance policy on bullying.
  • Please zero these columns by removing all the values.

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.

See Examples For:

General manager Les Snead is also culpable for this mess of a season, trading for Myles Garrett, who has done absolutely zero for this team.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

He has given up precisely zero runs, emerging as perhaps the most important player of the entire postseason.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

She said the decision was "compatible" with legally binding climate commitments, adding: "We remain resolute in ending new licences for oil and gas and achieving net zero by 2050."

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

"We were selling over 1,000 cases, which is for us a good amount of wine, to Canada, and now we have zero since tariffs. So it's a big problem."

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

Inside Deutsche Bank, Greg Lippmann was now hollering at the top of his lungs that these triple-A CDOs could one day be worth zero.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Users go to AI bots for everything from recipes to life and relationship advice, even forming one-sided platonic or romantic relationships with the ones and zeroes that make up this digital ether behind a screen.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Ten duotrigintillion—1 followed by 100 zeroes, or 10100—is equal to one googol.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

The concept of “Barista FIRE,” for instance, zeroes in on saving enough money to live off investments for most expenses, then taking a part-time job to cover the remaining costs.

From Barron's ● Jan. 10, 2026

Conventional computers operate using bits -- streams of electrical or optical pulses that represent ones or zeroes.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 23, 2025

He zeroes straight in on our joined hands.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas

For decades, mathematicians have tried to prove the Riemann hypothesis, which says that 100% of the nontrivial zeros of the Riemann zeta function fall on a single vertical line.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Now Wall Street zeros in on rate hike in September.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

If you’re not, you’ve got to use money, which is hard to get, whereas you get shares by typing zeros into a spreadsheet.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Every operation -- such as applying a quantum gate -- influences more than 2 quadrillion complex numerical values, a "2" with 15 zeros.

From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026

He and Newton would tear the scientific world asunder, though neither would solve the problem of the zeros that suffused calculus.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

The night before, Teoscar Hernández had zeroed in on the Dodgers’ at-bats with runners in scoring position in his postgame comments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

They zeroed in on Kao’s relationship with Collins.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Narayan highlighted Ford’s improved margins, but also zeroed in on Ford’s EV losses.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Instead of painting a broad picture that included all leading forms of content distribution — movie theaters, broadcast and cable television as well as streaming platforms — the states zeroed in on three distinct slices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

What else came back to me, as the hockey ball zeroed in?

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

These strange laws of existence provide the framework for Ullom’s excellent social observations, zeroing in on each character’s relationship to this new world and comparing it to the old one.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

They’re spending less time merely testing and learning and more time evaluating costs and zeroing in on the highest value use cases.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

But public health officials finally appear to be zeroing in on what’s causing it.

From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026

The park had opened in 2001 and had struggled in its early years to pull in crowds, with audiences zeroing in on a lack of Disneyland-style attractions and an absence of grandly designed vistas.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

His own eyes narrowed, zeroing in on Clancy with pure, razor-sharp fury.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken


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