Synonyms

nisi

American

[nahy-sahy, nee-see] / ˈnaɪ saɪ, ˈni si /

adjective

not yet final or absolute (used, especially in law, to indicate that a judgment or decree will become final on a particular date unless set aside or invalidated by certain specified contingencies).

a decree nisi.

nisi British

/ ˈnaɪsaɪ /

adjective

(postpositive) law (of a court order) coming into effect on a specified date unless cause is shown within a certain period why it should not

a decree nisi

"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 nisi

< Latin: if not, unless (conjunction)

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:

nisi

And that's only the beginning of what the nil nisi bonum faithful evaded.

From Salon ● May 8, 2021

And it replaces the terms "decree nisi" and "decree absolute" with "conditional order" and "final order".

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2020

My high school Latin teacher taught me the ethic of de mortuis nil nisi bonum: Say nothing but good about the dead.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2016

De mortuis nil nisi bonum, and all that, but you who don't remember JFK's presidency should recognize that he became a legend only after he was killed.

From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2015

An arch has the school’s motto painted on it: Nil magnum nisi bonum.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023