nonexistence

noun non·ex·is·tence \ ˌnän-ig-ˈzi-stən(t)s \

Definition of nonexistence

:absence of existence :the negation of being

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nonexistent

play \ˌnän-ig-ˈzi-stənt\ adjective

See nonexistence defined for kids

Recent Examples of nonexistence from the Web

After all, one implication of the center’s nonexistence is that parties have a lot more freedom to move the poles of America’s political debate than is popularly believed.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Democrats Can Abandon the Center — Because the Center Doesn’t Exist," 30 July 2017
Pacific Islanders are constantly dealing with being ethnically cleansed into nonexistence.

— lakshmi gandhi, NBC News, "New WWII Film Stirs Whitewashing Accusations with Casting of Hawaiian Hero," 9 May 2017
While intelligence officials do not normally discuss the existence or nonexistence of surveillance warrants, no law prevents Mr. Comey from issuing the statement.

— michael s. schmidt and michael d. shear, New York Times, "Comey Asks Justice Dept. to Reject Trump’s Wiretapping Claim," 5 Mar. 2017
There was no perceivable difference between his existence and nonexistence, as far as any of us were concerned.

— mikhail iossel, The New Yorker, "Five Rulers and One Presidential Press Conference," 22 Feb. 2017
The playwright Mr. Bock makes good on the presumptuous promise of his title, with a comprehensive micro-macro look at one middle-aged gay man’s existence, in which even nonexistence becomes a coup de théâtre.

— ben brantley and charles isherwood, New York Times, "The Best Theater of 2016," 6 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nonexistence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.