nonevent

American

[non-i-vent] / ˌnɒn ɪˈvɛnt /

noun

an event or situation that is anticipated but does not occur or occurs with much less than the expected impact, especially one that has been widely publicized; anticlimax.
an occurrence of only superficial interest or content; a dull or insignificant occasion.

nonevent British

/ ˌnɒnɪˈvɛnt /

noun

a disappointing or insignificant occurrence, esp one predicted to be important

"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 nonevent

First recorded in 1935–40; non- + event

Vocabulary lists containing nonevent

Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: non-

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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.

Local polling in May should be a nonevent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

That’s indeed the priceless nonevent stuff of life.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

Sometimes I get angry about the disparity of health, however much of a nonevent hearing disability is when compared to other maladies.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2024

The most important reason for optimism comes from a nonevent: The long-predicted recession of 2023 simply hasn’t happened.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

These steps could make a lockout a nonevent.

From Washington Post

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