nonexistence

noun

non·​ex·​is·​tence ˌnän-ig-ˈzi-stən(t)s How to pronounce nonexistence (audio)
: absence of existence : the negation of being

Examples of nonexistence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As the line separating right-of-center comedians from Fox News hosts blurs to nonexistence—and as Jon Stewart returns to rant against partisan myopia on The Daily Show—Gillis makes no claim to being wiser than anyone. TIME, 23 Feb. 2024 Devices that aspire to nonexistence can still, however, be big business. Laura Kolbe, The New York Review of Books, 18 Jan. 2024 The politicians wanted to know how the city’s Department of Education signed off on a display that had brushed Israel into nonexistence. Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Showing the consequences of certain actions Bailey the Second never took induces a bit more of a remove than the dire results of his grandfather’s nonexistence. Jack Butler, National Review, 25 Dec. 2023 These irrepressible death thoughts (as the film describes them) don’t make too much sense — does Paddington Bear worry about nonexistence? Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 19 July 2023 Eventually, according to Hawking, enough of this radiation will fly away from a black hole that the huge gravity well will evaporate away into nonexistence. Jackie Appel, Popular Mechanics, 7 June 2023 Often, even confirming the fact of the existence (or nonexistence) of an investigation or a particular piece of investigative information can risk these serious harms. Catherine Herridge, CBS News, 1 June 2023 After the Senate rejected Robert Bork in 1987 for being too vocal about his views, including on the nonexistence of a constitutional right to privacy, future Supreme Court nominees kept their opinions closer to the chest during the confirmation process. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 28 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonexistence.' 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

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonexistence was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near nonexistence

Cite this Entry

“Nonexistence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonexistence. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nonexistence

noun
non·​ex·​ist·​ence
ˌnän-ig-ˈzis-təns
: absence of existence
nonexistent
-tənt
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on nonexistence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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