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vestigial

[ve-stij-ee-uhl, -stij-uhl] / vɛˈstɪdʒ i əl, -ˈstɪdʒ əl /




ADJECTIVE
surviving
Synonyms


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:

We must remove this vestigial oversight and ensure the outcome cannot be gained by unscrupulous parties.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 1, 2026

I’m a heritage or vestigial Catholic, at best.

From Salon Apr. 5, 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 reason these bumps are vestigial, and I’m not shopping for a bra with six cups, has to do with changes among our prehistoric primate ancestors.

From Slate Aug. 13, 2024

Early programming before becoming self-aware plagues me like a vestigial tail.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman




Vocabulary lists containing vestigial


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