Definition

A term that does not have a meaning or is not recognized as a valid word in the language.

Example

The teacher explained that 'blorpt' is a nonword and has no meaning in English.

Conversation

Have you heard that new song with all the made-up words?

Yeah, I think some of them are just nonwords!

It's funny how people still sing along to those parts.

Right? It shows how catchy the tune is, even without real words!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Nonword → It is formed from "non-" (meaning not) and "word" (from Old English "word", meaning a unit of language). The term "nonword" refers to something that is not a recognized or valid word in a language.

Memory Tip

Think of 'non-' meaning 'not' and 'word' as a unit of language — so a nonword is simply something that is not a valid word.

Visually Confused Words