nonsmoker

noun

non·​smok·​er ˌnän-ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
plural nonsmokers
: a person who does not smoke tobacco : a person who is not a smoker
Radon poisoning is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.Jonathan Scholles

Examples of nonsmoker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The tidy historical benchmark allowed the team to be certain that human bones from before 1500 belonged to nonsmokers. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 4 Oct. 2024 Avoid Smoking, Vaping, or Using Tobacco A smoker's risk for coronary heart disease is 2 to 4 times that of a nonsmoker's risk.4 People who smoke at least one pack of cigarettes a day have twice the risk of heart attack compared to those who have never smoked. Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 8 Oct. 2024 Researchers were able to identify smokers and nonsmokers among hundreds of people who died in England between 1700 and 1855 by analyzing molecules left in their bones after their bodies metabolized tobacco. Byandrew Curry, science.org, 4 Oct. 2024 Her health continued to worsen over a yearlong period, eventually landing her in the ER, where a CT scan and biopsy revealed that Vassallo—an otherwise healthy, young, nonsmoker—had stage 4 lung cancer. Julia Sullivan, SELF, 25 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nonsmoker 

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonsmoker was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near nonsmoker

Cite this Entry

“Nonsmoker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonsmoker. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

nonsmoker

noun
non·​smok·​er -ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
: a person who does not smoke tobacco

More from Merriam-Webster on nonsmoker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!