Prefix · neutral negation
Negates neutrally and objectively without implying fault: nonstop, nonprofit, nonfiction.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Non- negates in a neutral, objective way, without implying that something is wrong or lacking. nonprofit = an organisation without profit as its goal (neutral description); nonstop = without stops (a feature of the flight). Unlike un- and dis-, non- carries no judgment: it simply signals absence.
Non- is mainly used with nouns and compound adjectives to create categories: nonprofit, nonfiction, nonviolent. Un- and in- are used with adjectives to negate a quality: unhappy, invisible. A useful rule: if you are describing a type or category ("an organisation that does not have X"), use non-. If you are simply negating a quality, use un- or in-.
Attaches directly to nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, with or without a hyphen:
American English typically writes without a hyphen (nonprofit, nonstop). British English and formal writing more often use a hyphen (non-profit, non-stop). Both forms are accepted.
non-/nɒn/
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"Nonprofit" (a type of organisation) uses non-. "Unhappy" (a personal state) uses un-. They are not interchangeable: "nonhappy" and "unprofit" are not words.
"That's nonsense" = that is completely wrong or absurd. It is stronger than "that doesn't make sense" and often implies disbelief or frustration.
A trick to remember it
Use non- when creating a category or type: an organisation that does not seek profit = nonprofit. When you simply want to negate a quality, use un- (unhappy) or in- (incorrect). Ask yourself: am I naming a category, or negating a quality?
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "nonviolent" and "not violent"?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"The booking fee is ___, so read the terms carefully before paying."
The prefix non- negates neutrally and objectively without implying fault: nonstop, nonprofit, nonfiction. In Spanish it usually maps to no- / sin-.
The prefix non- is pronounced /nɒn/. For example, "nonstop".
"stop" becomes "nonstop". It is a typical example of the non- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.