non-attribute
|non-at-tri-bute|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈætrɪbjuːt/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈætrɪbjuːt/
not an attribute
Etymology
'non-attribute' originates from English as a compound of the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') meaning 'not' and the word 'attribute', which ultimately derives from Latin 'attribuere' where 'ad-' meant 'to/toward' and 'tribuere' meant 'to give'.
'attribute' changed from Latin 'attribuere' to Old French 'attribuer' and entered Middle English (as forms like 'attributen'/'attribute'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'attribute'. The prefix 'non-' (used to form negations) was borrowed into English via Old French/Latin usage and later combined with 'attribute' to form the compound 'non-attribute' in Modern English.
Initially the components conveyed 'not given/assigned as an attribute'; over time the compound came to be used more generally as a marker meaning 'not an attribute' in both ordinary and technical language.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an item, element, or value that is not classified as an attribute (commonly used in technical contexts such as data modeling, databases, or linguistics).
Non-attribute values are stored separately from attributes in this system.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
not an attribute; used to describe something that is not a characteristic, property, or attribute of an object, concept, or data item.
In the schema, this field is defined as non-attribute rather than an attribute.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/25 16:59