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

Ultimately, the call for an update of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act amounts to a big non sequitur in search of a fix. —John Tamny, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024

Hoover haters love to roast her for everything about this paragraph: the idea of parents mocking their kid’s genitalia, the simplistic sentence structure, the non sequitur of the joke. —Constance Grady, Vox, 8 Aug. 2024

Yet, just as often, these exchanges go off the rails with non sequiturs, silence or, most painfully, faux pas. —Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 July 2024

Live action and cartoons are intercut with joyously non sequitur song breaks, and each episode features a guest star like Snoop Dogg or Tony Hale. —Vulture Editors, Vulture, 11 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, it does not follow

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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