nonunion
|non-un-ion|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈjuːniən/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈjuːniən/
not joined / not in a union
Etymology
'nonunion' originates from English, specifically by combining the prefix 'non-' and the word 'union', where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'union' meant 'joining or being one.'
'nonunion' was formed in Modern English by prefixing 'non-' to 'union'. The element 'union' comes from Old French 'union' and Latin 'unionem' (from 'unus' meaning 'one'), while 'non-' is a negative prefix from Old English/Latin use meaning 'not.'
Initially it meant simply 'not united' or 'not part of a union,' but over time it developed specialized senses, notably the medical sense 'failure of a fractured bone to unite' and the labor sense 'not belonging to a union.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a medical condition in which a fractured bone fails to heal and join properly.
The X-ray showed a nonunion of the tibia that required further surgery.
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Noun 2
the state of not being a member of a labor union; an individual or workplace not organized under a union.
The factory remained a nonunion for many years.
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Last updated: 2026/01/01 06:29