nonchalant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonchalance noun
- nonchalantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of nonchalant
First recorded in 1725–35; from French nonchalant, present participle of obsolete nonchaloir “to lack warmth (of heart), be indifferent,” equivalent to non- prefix meaning “not” + chaloir, from Latin calēre “to be warm”; non-, -ant
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.
Heading into the results, investors were a bit more nonchalant about threats to the economy.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 14, 2026
The venture has drawn some backlash, including a “Saturday Night Live” skit that spoofed Honnold’s nonchalant attitude, which has earned him the nickname “No Big Deal” and prompted scientists to study his brain.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026
The dandy may have many names, but we know him when we see him—he projects the aristocrat’s “superior air and nonchalant ennui,” Mr. Andersson writes, only a little too much.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
"There's not gonna be a chill, nonchalant bone in my body that day," says Rose.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025
The greatest American scientist, the most deft diplomat, the most accomplished prose stylist, the sharpest wit, Franklin defied all the categories by inhabiting them all with such distinction and nonchalant grace.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
