English for Students

non

This ROOT-WORD is the Prefix NON which means NOT in practically all languages in some similar form. You have already had IN and IM meaning NOT and UN meaning NOT. You will see that NON is not as emphatic as IN, IM and UN. For example; “He is a non American" simply means that he is not an American citizen, he is a citizen of another country. “He is un-American" means he’s engaged in activities which are contrary to the American way of life; he violates the ideals of American Democracy.


1. Nonage : NON age (non’ ij) n.

State of not being of legal age


2. Nonaggression : NON aggression (non a gre’ shun) n.

State of not being aggressive


3. Noncommissioned : NON commissioned (non ko mish’ und) adj.

An officer of minor rank


4. Nondescript : NON descript (non de script) adj.

Not easily described


5. Nonconformist : NON conformist (non kon form’ ist) n.

One who does not always adopt himself to set rules


6. Noncontemporary : NON contemporary (non kon tem’ po rare e) adj.

Not living at the present time


7. Nondelegable : NON delegable (non del’ e ga b’l) adj.

Not able to be delegated


8. Nonevil : NON evil (non e’ vil) n.

Not an evil thing


9. Non compos mentis : NON compos mentis (non kom pu sment’ us) adj.

(Latin) Of unsound mind


10. Nonsense : NON sense (non’ sens) n.

Something which does not make sense


11. Nonsensical : NON sensical (non sen’ si kal) adj.

Not making sense