non sequitur

WOTD – 3 July 2007    

English

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Alternative forms

Etymology

From the Latin phrase nōn sequitur (“it does not follow”), from nōn (“not”) + sequitur (third-person form of sequor (“I follow”)); in Latin, the phrase sees no use as a noun. Compare sequence, from same root.

Pronunciation

  • (RP) IPA: /ˌnɒnˈsɛk.wɪ.tə/
  • (US) IPA: /ˌnɑːnˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

Noun

non sequitur (plural non sequiturs or non sequuntur)

  1. Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.
    Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel.
  2. (logical fallacy) Any invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises; a logical fallacy.
  3. A statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it.
  4. (humor) A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.

Usage notes

The legitimate plural forms of non sequitur include the Anglicised non sequiturs and the Classical non sequuntur; non sequituri is also attested, but is rare, non-standard, and misformed.

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • non-sequiturial

Related terms

Translations

any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
invalid argument
kind of pun
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

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Last modified on 22 December 2012, at 05:05