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non-

American  
  1. a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, usually with a simple negative force as implying mere negation or absence of something (rather than the opposite or reverse of it, as often expressed byun- ): nonadherence; noninterference; nonpayment; nonprofessional .


non- British  

prefix

  1. indicating negation

    nonexistent

  2. indicating refusal or failure

    noncooperation

  3. indicating exclusion from a specified class of persons or things

    nonfiction

  4. indicating lack or absence, esp of a quality associated with what is specified

    nonobjective

    nonevent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of non-

A prefix representing the Latin adverb nōn “not”


Vocabulary lists containing non

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:

Members of this generation, who were born between 1997 and 2012, prefer non- or low-alcohol drinks.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 23, 2025

And, of course, he’s a longtime chronicler of New York City cultures and characters, fictional and non-, from Travis Bickle to Fran Lebowitz.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2023

He spent about 40 minutes giving his statement, and after that, the court ruled on the motion that the state's attorney brought and vacated a non-

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2023

Topped by an apartment, its street-level retail space over the years supplied a range of what broadly could be called apothecary assistance, medicinal and non-.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2022

I felt the rage and hatred one has toward non- appreciators, toward those who through ignorance destroy a treasured plan.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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