non grata
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of non grata
First recorded in 1925–30; abstracted from persona non grata
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.
Choi becoming persona non grata for pot hardly seemed fair in light of that horrifying revelation.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, is refusing to leave Beirut despite Lebanon’s foreign ministry declaring him persona non grata.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
It declared Basilio Gutierrez persona non grata but did not offer a specific reason for the decision.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
"He has no power. He is persona non grata, and that's not because he did anything wrong ... that's because of the world we live in," she said.
From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026
Ladd Devine himself had never attended a session; and Horsethief Shorty Wilson was persona non grata because although everyone knew he cheated, nobody could catch him at it; hence, Shorty was impossible to beat.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
