nonsmoker

noun

non·​smok·​er ˌnän-ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
plural nonsmokers
: a person who does not smoke tobacco : a person who is not a smoker
Radon poisoning is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Jonathan Scholles

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. Omer Awan, Forbes, 3 May 2023 Despite the 420 in the event name, which usually refers to April 20 — a date that both marijuana smokers and nonsmokers recognize as one of the biggest days of the year for cannabis culture — the event organized by College Entertainment Productions at 2000 Brooklyn St. is scheduled for April 29. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2023 Since 1964, more than 2.5 million nonsmokers who didn’t smoke have died from health problems caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, according to the CDC. Jen Christensen, CNN, 17 Apr. 2023 Maigue Bendorf said that as a previously healthy nonsmoker, her sister had to strongly push for further testing. San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2023 For example, smoking changes the environment in a smoker’s lung, so a mutated cell inside that lung would behave differently than the same cell in a healthy nonsmoker’s lung. Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 26 Apr. 2022 An aerosol monitor was placed where a nonsmoker might sit, recording PM2.5 levels before, during and after eight sessions. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2022 On average, a smoker lives eight to 12 fewer years than a nonsmoker. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2022 Kurvers, a nonsmoker, was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, early in 2019. Jana Hollingsworth And Chris Miller, Star Tribune, 21 June 2021 See More

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

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonsmoker was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near nonsmoker

Cite this Entry

“Nonsmoker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonsmoker. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Medical Definition

nonsmoker

noun
non·​smok·​er -ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
: a person who does not smoke tobacco

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