nonmetamorphism
|non-me-ta-mor-phism|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˌmɛtəˈmɔːrfɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˌmɛtəˈmɔːfɪz(ə)m/
absence of metamorphic change
Etymology
'nonmetamorphism' originates from modern English, formed by the negative prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') joined to the noun 'metamorphism'.
'metamorphism' comes from Greek roots 'meta-' (meaning 'change') + 'morphe' (meaning 'form') via Latin/Medieval Latin and then Middle English; 'nonmetamorphism' is a modern English coinage combining 'non-' with that established geological noun.
Initially composed to mean simply 'not metamorphism' or 'the absence of metamorphism'; in technical geological usage it denotes specific conditions where metamorphic processes did not occur or were negligible.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition or state of not having undergone metamorphism; the absence of metamorphic alteration in rocks or materials.
The geologists described the basin as showing nonmetamorphism, with original sedimentary textures still intact.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/08 02:26