nonexistential

adjective

non·​ex·​is·​ten·​tial ˌnän-ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl How to pronounce nonexistential (audio)
ˌek-(ˌ)si-
: not existential
Sometimes nations are attacked or invaded and war is thrust on them. These wars rarely prove controversial. A more difficult case exists with respect to wars of choice, when a nation can elect to start a war or not, often based on differing assessments of nonexistential threat, the costs, and the benefits imagined to flow from a war.Scott Horton

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonexistential was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near nonexistential

Cite this Entry

“Nonexistential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonexistential. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!