nonengagement

noun

non·​en·​gage·​ment ˌnän-in-ˈgāj-mənt How to pronounce nonengagement (audio)
-en-
: failure or refusal to engage someone or something : lack of engagement
… the countryʼs engagement or nonengagement in international events and crises.Martin Folly

Examples of nonengagement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This nonengagement strategy worked: After presenting himself as an ostentatiously humble cipher during confirmation hearings, the 49-year-old Gorsuch was elevated to the Supreme Court by a vote of 54 to 45. Mark Joseph Stern, Slate Magazine, 17 May 2017 There’s no neurotic guilt, but there is a lingering need to cover up and justify a posture of nonengagement. Christopher Buckley, Esquire, 20 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonengagement.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonengagement was in 1727

Dictionary Entries Near nonengagement

Cite this Entry

“Nonengagement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonengagement. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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