non sequitur

American  

[non sek-wi-ter, -toor, nohn se-kwi-toor] / nɒn ˈsɛk wɪ tər, -ˌtʊər, noʊn ˈsɛ kwɪˌtʊər /

noun

1. Logic. an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.

2. a statement containing an illogical conclusion.

   The built environment has to be more presentable than it was in the past, but it's a non sequitur to claim that this must occur at the expense of cultural value.

3. something said or written that is unrelated to what immediately precedes.

   Your comment is at best a non sequitur, and bears zero relevance to the issue at point.

4. an illogical or unconnected shift from one thing to another.

   The Tibetan prints to the right of the formal portrait—with their religious figures and mandala-like patterns—initially seem like a non sequitur.

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non sequitur British  

/ ˈnɒn ˈsɛkwɪtə /

noun

1. a statement having little or no relevance to what preceded it

2. logic a conclusion that does not follow from the premises

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non sequitur Cultural  

1. A thought that does not logically follow what has just been said: “We had been discussing plumbing, so her remark about astrology was a real non sequitur.” Non sequitur is Latin for “It does not follow.”

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Etymology

Origin of non sequitur

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin nōn sequitur “it does not follow”

Example Sentences

Non sequitur, non sek′wi-tur, it does not follow: a wrong conclusion: one that does not follow from the premises.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Related Words

• deception
• falsehood
• heresy
• inconsistency
• misinterpretation
• paradox
• untruth