nonvegetal
|non-veg-e-tal|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈvɛdʒɪtəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈvɛdʒɪtəl/
not plant-based
Etymology
'nonvegetal' originates from a combination of the negative prefix 'non' (from Latin 'non') and 'vegetal' (from French 'végétal', ultimately from Latin 'vegetalis'), where 'non' meant 'not' and 'vegetalis' related to 'growing, lively' or 'pertaining to plants'.
'vegetalis' in Latin developed into Old/Middle French 'végétal' and entered English as 'vegetal'; English then formed 'nonvegetal' by adding the prefix 'non-' to negate 'vegetal'.
Initially, 'vegetalis' conveyed ideas of being lively or growing (hence relating to plant life); over time 'vegetal' came to mean 'pertaining to plants', and 'nonvegetal' developed to mean 'not relating to plants' or 'not plant-based'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
something that is nonvegetal; an item or substance that is not derived from plants.
They separated vegetal from nonvegetal before disposal.
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Adjective 1
not vegetal; not relating to plants or plant life; not plant-based or of plant origin.
The laboratory samples were nonvegetal in origin.
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Last updated: 2025/11/28 12:42