moot

moot point

A debatable question, an issue open to argument; also, an irrelevant question, a matter of no importance. For example, Whether Shakespeare actually wrote the poem remains a moot point among critics, or It's a moot point whether the chicken or the egg came first. This term originated in British law where it described a point for discussion in a moot, or assembly, of law students. By the early 1700s it was being used more loosely in the present sense.

See also: moot, point

be a moot ˈpoint/ˈquestion

be a subject that people disagree on or are uncertain about: It’s a moot point whether women or men make better drivers.A moot was a group of people who met to discuss questions of local or national law during the Anglo-Saxon period. A moot point was a question of law discussed at this meeting.

See also: moot, point, question