otiose
UK: ˈəʊtiəʊs | US: ˈoʊʃiˌoʊs
adj. serving no practical purpose; superfluous
adj. ineffective or futile
adj. idle or lazy
Derived from Latin otiosus ("at leisure, idle"), from otium ("leisure, ease"). The root oti- reflects a state of inactivity, while -ose is an adjectival suffix indicating a quality. Originally neutral, the word acquired negative connotations (e.g., "useless") as leisure became associated with laziness in certain cultural contexts.
The debate was otiose, as the decision had already been made.
His otiose remarks added no value to the discussion.
She dismissed the proposal as an otiose exercise in bureaucracy.
The machine’s otiose function was removed to streamline production.
Critics called the new law otiose, arguing it duplicated existing regulations.