1
as in illusion
a conception or image created by the imagination and having no objective reality
the arctic circle is a nonentity—you won't see it on the way to the north pole
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobody
a person of no importance or influence
was so quiet he was almost a nonentity at the meeting
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonentity
At the time the house was a nonentity, the models dull, the clients wealthy women who did not dress in the latest styles.
—
Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024
Putin appointed a political nonentity in his place, shifted himself to the position of prime minister, and came right back for a third presidential term in 2012 and then a fourth.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
The central father-son dynamic feels forced rather than rooted in history, and Freddy is a nonentity, undefined as a character except in relation to his meddling dad.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
And Putin, shockingly, after years and years of indefatigably suppressing alternatives, of promoting nonentities to his inner circle to ensure no one could threaten him, has allowed one to take shape.
—Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonentity
Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024
Putin appointed a political nonentity in his place, shifted himself to the position of prime minister, and came right back for a third presidential term in 2012 and then a fourth.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024
The central father-son dynamic feels forced rather than rooted in history, and Freddy is a nonentity, undefined as a character except in relation to his meddling dad.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
And Putin, shockingly, after years and years of indefatigably suppressing alternatives, of promoting nonentities to his inner circle to ensure no one could threaten him, has allowed one to take shape.
—Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for nonentity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonentity
Noun
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And if anyone was naive enough to imagine the U.S.-led tournament in 2026 would be free of such political baggage, then surely the increasingly public proximity of the Trump-Infantino relationship has dispelled those illusions.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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The entire spectacle is, of course, a line-of-sight illusion — all three objects extremely far from each other.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
None of these nobodies is performing like Grimes just yet, and until someone does Grier better get active trying to find a handful of veteran cornerbacks whom this team can call on, and sign to patch up the weakest unit on the team.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
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And maybe that’s a metaphor for the way a lot of middle-class nobodies feel.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
13 May 2025
Noun
-
The parade will emphasize the power and magic of dreams.—
Megan duBois,
Southern Living,
13 June 2025
-
This time, voters have rejected the progressive fever dream at the ballot box.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Second, between February and October 1942, the Germans changed the anatomy of their Enigma cipher machine, meaning the Allies were unable to decode the messages sent to and from U-boats.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 June 2025
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Black Samson goes on to complete the cipher with the presence of some new blood including Benny the Butcher, 38 Spesh and RJ Payne.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
Yet now that substantial success seems to have given birth to a self-destructive fantasy.—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2025
-
Among his early gigs was a role on BBC fantasy drama Jekyll & Hyde, and making his West End debut in Mojo with Ben Whishaw and Rupert Grint.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Tell me a little bit about the technical side of filming a dwarf and an elf together.—
Devan Coggan,
EW.com,
13 Oct. 2022
-
Other new characters include Disa, the first female dwarf ever shown in the Lord of the Rings series.—
Ethan Millman,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2022
Noun
-
From $635 per night. La Réserve feels a bit like a daydream manifested.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
3 June 2025
-
Zooey Deschanel is living in a Screen Actors Guild Awards daydream.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
So the Harris image as a lightweight, promoted in part by her cackling responses in some interviews, can be misleading and other candidates for governor would be wise not to underestimate her.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
10 June 2025
-
Stay cool with clothing: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing to stay comfortable.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonentity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonentity. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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