nonentities
|non-en-ti-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈɛntɪti/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈentɪti/
(nonentity)
insignificance
Etymology
'nonentity' originates from Latin and Medieval Latin, specifically the words 'non' and 'entitas', where 'non' meant 'not' and 'entitas' (from Latin 'ens, entis') meant 'being'.
'nonentity' was formed in Early Modern English by combining the prefix 'non-' with the noun 'entity' (from Medieval Latin 'entitas', from Latin 'ens, entis' meaning 'being') and entered English usage around the 17th century.
Initially it conveyed the literal sense 'not an entity' or 'nonexistence', but over time it evolved to commonly mean 'a person or thing of no importance'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of nonentity: people or things of no importance, influence, or distinction; nobodies.
In the meeting, most of the junior staff felt like nonentities, ignored by senior management.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
(less common) Plural of nonentity in the sense of things that do not exist or have no real presence; nonexistences or mere abstractions.
The proposals were dismissed as nonentities, theoretical ideas with no practical application.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/18 22:26