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Glite Dictionary
nonevent

nonevent

1 5.9
An event people expected to be important but that was disappointing
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌnˌɛvɛnt/
  • Literature
translation icon : no evento
  • "Austin was preoccupied with the nonevents of the night, so he was only half listening.

Examples

  • In reality, Black Friday is nothing more than a collective con—a nonevent, made to appear as an event.

    Blog text (18)

  • Don't tell me this is a nonevent!

    Blog text (12)

  • If this view is accepted, the discussion about nonevents at the beginning of this section needs to be revised.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Ever-louder rumblings north of the border should not be dismissed as another Canadian nonevent.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Crafting gun control around Aurora or Wisconsin is foolish, especially when it's a statistical nonevent.

    Blog text (6)

  • Everyone expected the meeting to be significant, but it turned out to be a complete nonevent with no major decisions made.

  • The concert was hyped for months, but in reality, it was just a nonevent with very few people attending.

  • Despite all the media coverage, the debate was a nonevent, failing to sway public opinion in any direction.

Synonyms

sideshow
vsnonevent
26 5.5

A small event that distracts from more important matters

is expected to be central but then proves insignificant
flash in the pan
vsnonevent
  • Informal
4 7.2

A person or thing that has a short time of success and then people forget them

is expected to be important but then turns out disappointing

Antonyms

event
∞ 1.0

A planned or important thing that happens at a particular time and place

How Significant

landmark
16 4.4
big event
38 2.0
notable
112 3.7
event
∞ 1.0
nonevent
  • Literature
1 5.9
minor detail
6 3.2

Surface Forms

nonevent singular
nonevents plural

Morphology

nonevent = event (transparent) = non + event

The negative prefix 'non-' attaches to 'event' to indicate the lack or failure of significance, which is directly inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word nonevent is built from non- meaning 'not' (as in nonstop) and event meaning 'something that happens'. So a nonevent is something people expect to be big but that turns out 'not' special or not important.