Non- | Meaning Of Prefix Non- By Etymonline

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Origin and history of non-

non-

a prefix used freely in English and meaning "not, lack of," or "sham," giving a negative sense to any word, 14c., from Anglo-French noun-, from Old French non-, from Latin non "not, by no means, not at all, not a," from Old Latin noenum "not one" (*ne oinom, from PIE root *ne- "not" + PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique"). In some cases perhaps from Middle English non "not" (adj.), from Old English nan (see not). "It differs from un- in that it denotes mere negation or absence of the thing or quality, while un- often denotes the opposite of the thing or quality" [Century Dictionary].

also from 14c.

Entries linking to non-

not(adv.)

negative particle, a word expressing negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition, mid-13c., unstressed variant of noht, naht "in no way" (see naught). As an interjection to negate what was said before or reveal it as sarcasm, it is attested by 1900, popularized 1989 by "Wayne's World" sketches on "Saturday Night Live" TV show.

Not, spoken with emphasis, often stands for the negation of a whole sentence referred to: as, I hope not (that is, I hope that the state of things you describe does not exist). [Century Dictionary, 1895]

To not know X from Y (one's ass from one's elbow, shit from Shinola, etc.) was a construction attested from c. 1930 in modern use; but compare Middle English not know an A from a windmill (c. 1400). Double negative construction not un- was derided by Orwell, but is persistent and ancient in English, popular with Milton and the Anglo-Saxon poets.

non-access(n.)

"lack of access," 1745, from non- + access (n.). Especially in law, "impossibility of access for sexual intercourse," as when a husband is out of the country in military service or at sea longer than the time of gestation of a child. "[W]hen a husband could not, in the course of nature, by reason of his absence, have been the father of his wife's child, the child is a bastard" ["Wharton's Law Lexicon," London, 1883].

• non-admission
• nonage
• non-aggression
• non-aligned
• non-appearance
• non-attendance
• nonchalant
• non-combatant
• non-combustible
• non-commissioned
• non-committal
• non-communicant
• non-compliance
• nonconforming
• nonconformist
• nonconformity
• non-consensual
• non-cooperation
• See All Related Words (73)

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nonchalantalso non-chalant, "indifferent, unconcerned, careless, cool," 1734, from French nonchalant "careless, indifferent," present participle of nonchaloir "be indifferent to, have no concern for" (13c.), from non- "not" (see non-) + chaloir "have concern for," ultimately from Latin calnonconformistalso non-conformist, "one who does not conform to some law or usage," 1610s, originally and especially of clergymen who adhered to Church of England doctrine but not its practice, from non- + conformist. After their ejection under the Act of Uniformity (1662) the name passed to tnon-consensualalso nonconsensual, "done without consent," by 1945 in legalese, from non- + consensual (q.v.). Used since 1960s by sociologists and in political science; used by 1977 in legal discussions and definitions of rape and other sex crimes and popularized in this sense from c. 1995. Anbarbarianearly 15c., in reference to classical history, "a non-Roman or non-Greek," earlier barbar (late 14c.)..."non-Roman or non-Greek person; non-Christian; person speaking a language different from one's own," from Medieval Latin...ignorant," from PIE root *barbar- echoic of unintelligible speech of foreigners (compare Sanskrit barbara- "stammering," also "non-Aryan...Sometimes, in reference to Renaissance Italy, "a non-Italian."...accidentallate 14c., "non-essential," from Old French accidentel or directly from Medieval Latin accidentalis, from Latin accidentem...Accidential (1811) sometimes serves now in the sense "characterized by non-essential qualities" and goes with accidence....animalCommonly only of non-human creatures. It drove out the older beast in common usage....Used derisively of brutish humans (in which the "animal," or non-rational, non-spiritual nature is ascendant) from 1580s....personaoriginally applied to diplomatic representatives acceptable to the governments to which they were sent; hence also persona non...grata (plural personæ non gratæ)....harlotc. 1200 (late 12c. in surnames), "vagabond, man of no fixed occupation, idle rogue," from Old French herlot, arlot "vagabond, tramp, vagrant; rascal, scoundrel," with cognates in Old Provençal (arlot), Old Spanish (arlote), and Italian (arlotto), but of unknown origin. Usually mamollycoddlealso molly-coddle, by 1839 (implied in mollycoddling), from a noun (by 1828) meaning "overly pampered, fastidious, effeminate male," from Molly (pet name formation from Mary), which had been used contemptuously at least since 1707 for "a milksop, an effeminate man" (see molly (n.pessimism1794 "worst condition possible, point of greatest deterioration" (a sense now rare or obsolete), borrowed (by Coleridge) from French pessimisme, formed (on model of French optimisme) from Latin pessimus "worst," perhaps originally "bottom-most," from PIE *ped-samo-, suffixed (sup

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‘cite’Page URL:https://www.etymonline.com/word/non-CopyHTML Link:<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/non-">Etymology of non- by etymonline</a>CopyAPA Style:Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of non-. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/non-CopyChicago Style:Harper Douglas, "Etymology of non-," Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed January 5, 2026, https://www.etymonline.com/word/non-.CopyMLA Style:Harper, Douglas. "Etymology of non-." Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/non-. Accessed 5 January, 2026.CopyIEEE Style:D. Harper. "Etymology of non-." Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/non- (accessed January 5, 2026).CopyRemove AdsAdvertisement

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TrendingDictionary entries near non-

• nominator
• nominee
• nomology
• nomothetic
• -nomy
• non-
• non compos mentis
• non sequitur
• nona-
• non-access
• non-admission

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