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nonlife

American  
[non-lahyf] / nɒnˈlaɪf /

noun

  1. lack or absence of life.


Etymology

Origin of nonlife

First recorded in 1725–35; non- + life


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:

The results were driven by premium growth in nonlife insurance, which seems due to stronger pricing, as well as new business growth in the life-insurance segment, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

"The method captured not only the distinction between life and nonlife, but also degrees of preservation and alteration."

From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026

“It would be very difficult to observe a planet with the composition of Earth’s atmosphere and figure out ways for nonlife processes to produce that,” says Giada Arney, an exoplanet scientist at Goddard.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 10, 2021

Two officers were transported to a hospital where they also were treated for nonlife threatening injuries, police said.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 23, 2021

She was to have been the answer to his unstated, unacknowledged question—where was the life to counter the encroaching nonlife?

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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