non sequitur

noun

non se·​qui·​tur ˌnän-ˈse-kwə-tər 

 also  -ˌtu̇r

1

: an inference (see inference sense 1) that does not follow from the premises (see premise entry 1 sense 1)

specifically : a fallacy resulting from a simple conversion of a universal affirmative (see affirmative entry 1 sense 3) proposition or from the transposition of a condition and its consequent (see consequent entry 1 sense 1)

2

: a statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said

We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.

Did you know?

In Latin, non sequitur means "it does not follow." The phrase was borrowed into English in the 1500s by people who made a formal study of logic. For them, it meant a conclusion that does not follow from the statements that lead to it. But we now use non sequitur for any kind of statement that seems to come out of the blue.

Examples of non sequitur in a Sentence

We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is a love affair blossoming on the planet of non sequiturs, the kind of repartee moviegoers used to get with William Powell and Carole Lombard, or Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. —Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025

Photo: Paramount/Everett Collection Year: 1980 Run Time: 88 minutes Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker Stuffing hundreds of punch lines, visual gags, and non sequiturs into less than 90 minutes, Airplane! boasts arguably the highest laughs-per-minute ratio in cinema history. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025

The non sequitur sends Grace into arpeggios of laughter, but once Dylan is out of earshot, Grace discloses to me that she’s begun to regard Dylan as one of her own children. —Barrett Swanson, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025

Stuffing hundreds of punch lines, visual gags, and non sequiturs into less than 90 minutes, Airplane! boasts arguably the highest laughs-per-minute ratio in cinema history. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, it does not follow

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1