Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

non sequitur

/ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.32 in modern English

Syllables: non se-quitur
IPA: /ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/

20

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.

noun

Any invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.

noun

A statement that does not logically follow a statement that preceded it.

noun

A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.

Example Sentences

"Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel."
"Non sequiturs, gratuitous acts, frustrating ellipses, ambiguities, a dearth of emotion: Miss [Lillian] Hellman avails herself of all these current techniques in telling a story that she keeps telling us may not be a story at all."
"Ralph Wiggum is generally employed as a bottomless fount of glorious non sequiturs, but in “I Love Lisa” he stands in for every oblivious chump who ever deluded himself into thinking that with persistence, determination, and a pure heart he can win the girl of his dreams."

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

Word Breakdown

Root: *né, *sekʷ-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/
British English: /ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tə/

Inflected Forms

non sequiturs (plural) non sequuntur (plural) non-sequitur (alternative) nonsequitur (alternative)

Derived Forms

nonsequitous nonsequiturial

Phrases

apropos of nothing deus ex machina what does that have to do with the price of tea in China

Frequently Paired Words

sequence anacoluthon apropos of nothing deus ex machina fallacy paradox what does that have to do with the price of tea in China paraprosdokian

Synonyms

fallacy

Antonyms

sequitur

Questions

How do you pronounce non sequitur?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/.
What does non sequitur mean?: Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.
Where does non sequitur come from?: Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

How to pronounce non sequitur

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