nonexistent

adjective

non·​ex·​is·​tent ˌnän-ig-ˈzi-stənt How to pronounce nonexistent (audio)
Synonyms of nonexistentnext
: not in actual or present occurrence : not existing
… historical accounts of the first Thanksgiving are almost nonexistentJasper White
Water was often a luxury, bathrooms were nonexistent, the food was often suspect.Noel Vietmeyer
Although brain size and organization became basically modern at least 100,000 years ago, with the robust Neanderthals, their advances in tool-making were slight, their self-expression through art virtually nonexistent.John Noble Wilford

Examples of nonexistent in a Sentence

our perennially nonexistent computer tech is, once again, not here today
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the present, her mother lies to her church friends about Audrey’s nonexistent medical career, pressures her to date a nice and rich but hopelessly boring divorcé and guilt-trips Audrey into extending her stay. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 24 Jan. 2026 Fresh sushi was nearly nonexistent and rotisserie chickens were sparse. Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026 But in Florida democracy, a majority is less than a whiff of a puff of a nonexistent chemtrail. Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026 Fakroune is accused of posing as Angelino Escobar, the son of the famed Columbian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, and lying to people about his connections to nonexistent Italian mafiosos to ensure payback on his loans. Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonexistent

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonexistent was in 1646

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Cite this Entry

“Nonexistent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonexistent. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.

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