non sequitur en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (California) audio
- /ˌnɔn ˈsek.wɪ.tə/ (Australia)
- /ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
- audio Queensland
- /ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).
Meanings
-
Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.
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.
1980 May 13, Anatole Broyard, “Books of The Times”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
- Any invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.
-
A statement that does not logically follow a statement that preceded it.
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.
2012 August 5, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993)”, in AV Club:
- A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| non sequuntur | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| nonsequitur | alternative | lexicographic | |
| non sequiturs | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| non-sequitur | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Coordinates
Deriveds
Relateds
anacoluthon · what does that have to do with the price of tea in China · fallacy · apropos of nothing · sequence · paradox · deus ex machina
Synonyms
Translations (29)
pl żart polegający na założeniu słuchacza (kind of pun) · de Gedankensprung (any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence) · pl stwierdzenie bez związku (statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it) · fi non sequitur (invalid argument) · fi väärä johtopäätös (statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it) · fi selittämätön siirtymä (any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence) · de Fehlschluss (statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it) · de Fehlschluss (invalid argument) · fi non sequitur -sanaleikki (kind of pun) · de falsche Folgerung (statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it) · pl coś bez związku (any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence) · pl non sequitur (invalid argument) · es incongruencia (invalid argument) · fi väärä johtopäätös (invalid argument) · de non sequitur (invalid argument) · nl non sequitur (invalid argument) · cmn 推不出 (invalid argument) · es non sequitur (non sékuitur) (invalid argument) · nl onterechte conclusie (invalid argument) · fr non sequitur (invalid argument) · fi ei seuraa (invalid argument) · el ανακολουθία (invalid argument) · fi non sequitur (any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence) · pl błąd wnioskowania (invalid argument) · el ανακολουθία (any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence) · de Nonsens (invalid argument) · ru нелогичное заключение (invalid argument) · de unlogisches Argument (invalid argument) · de non sequitur (statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it)