1
as in dream
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
the arctic circle is a nonentity—you won't see it on the way to the north pole
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
was so quiet he was almost a nonentity at the meeting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonentity
Shawn is played by out actor Rafael L. Silva, but the character’s sexuality is only noted in passing, and his relationship with his boyfriend is a nonentity.
—
Ashley Spencer, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Pressed on one side by hard-liners and on the other by opponents of the Islamic Republic, the regime’s centrists and reformists had become political nonentities.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
At the time the house was a nonentity, the models dull, the clients wealthy women who did not dress in the latest styles.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024
Putin appointed a political nonentity in his place, shifted himself to the position of prime minister, and came right back for a third presidential term in 2012 and then a fourth.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonentity
Ashley Spencer, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
Pressed on one side by hard-liners and on the other by opponents of the Islamic Republic, the regime’s centrists and reformists had become political nonentities.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025
At the time the house was a nonentity, the models dull, the clients wealthy women who did not dress in the latest styles.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024
Putin appointed a political nonentity in his place, shifted himself to the position of prime minister, and came right back for a third presidential term in 2012 and then a fourth.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonentity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonentity
Noun
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But as his son’s college dreams were coming into focus, Dominique thought about his own path and upbringing.—
Mirin Fader,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Most cops have hero dreams, protector fantasies that sustain them through days that are mostly mundane.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Professional athletes, however, aren’t nobodies.—
Joe Kozlowski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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More importantly, the narrative explores both sides of the conflict from the POV of grunts and 'nobodies' trying to navigate the post-Civil War state of the galaxy before the fighting stops.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Still, there are some footwear styles and silhouettes that work better for women on the shorter side, helping give the illusion of a higher stature.—
Shelby Comroe,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Her sister, Kali, has the power to create illusions, so the Eleven that everyone witnessed in her final moments could have been fake, and the real Eleven could have slipped away without being detected.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The movie, which posits an impending nuclear strike on a major American city, is a flimsy yet high-minded piece of doomsday schlock, largely populated by ciphers in suits and drained of the pulp pleasures that schlock, at its best, can afford.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
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Such ciphers are easy to crack using techniques such as checking letter frequency and identifying common patterns.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And, once again, fantasies of surgical strikes are yielding to messy realities.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
As that tension escalates, battles — between good and evil, fantasy and reality, collapse and triumph — ensue.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
La Selva always had caymans, but only the less aggressive and less territorial dwarf and white species.—
Noah Lederman,
Robb Report,
3 Jan. 2026
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Recently, the Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of a dwarf galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Bob Weir, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, whose songs about sunshine daydreams and truckin’ helped turn the jam band into a 60-year musical empire, has died at age 78.—
Richard Gehr,
Rolling Stone,
10 Jan. 2026
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Season 5, after all, is framed by Mike and Eleven’s daydream of a conversation in the first episode.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
26 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Expandable Checked Bag is a Travel + Leisure editor favorite, thanks to its lightweight yet durable shell.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
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This lightweight, nourishing oil helps support the skin’s microbiome while delivering deep hydration.—
Colleen Sullivan,
InStyle,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonentity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonentity. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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