nonexistent

adjective

non·​ex·​is·​tent ˌnän-ig-ˈzi-stənt How to pronounce nonexistent (audio)
: 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.
Year: 1986 Runtime: 1h 28m Famously shot in two weeks on a nonexistent budget, Lee’s first film is completely all over the place, part in-your-face polemic, part Woody Allen–esque social comedy. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2025 In 2021, TeamHealth agreed to pay $48 million to settle a lawsuit in which two former employees alleged the company routinely billed for nonexistent doctor examinations and critical care services. Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 11 Aug. 2025 Plus, Marc Fisher on D.C.’s nonexistent crime emergency. David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025 Flood survivor Bud Bolton, a resident of Hunt, Texas, says the aid has been painfully slow, and in some cases, nonexistent. Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2025 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 24 Aug. 2025.

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