Nil means nothing, zero, or none at all. It's a formal way of saying “zero,” especially in scoring games or reporting results. If your team loses a soccer match 3-0, the announcer might say the final score was “three-nil.” If a scientist tests a theory and finds nil evidence to support it, they found absolutely nothing.

Nil sounds more official than simply saying “zero.” You'll hear it used in sports broadcasts, scientific reports, and formal announcements. A doctor might report that a patient's chance of infection is nil after successful treatment. A weather forecaster might say the probability of rain tomorrow is nil.

While “zero” works in most situations, nil adds a certain precision to the statement. When you say something has a nil chance of happening, you're emphasizing that it's truly zero, not just unlikely. In everyday conversation, though, most people would just say “nothing” or “zero” instead.