Meanings
plural non sequiturs · plural non sequuntur · alternative non-sequitur · alternative nonsequitur
- human sciencesAny abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.
Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel.
1 more example
Non sequiturs, gratuitous acts, frustrating ellipses, ambiguities, a dearth of emotion: Miss [Lillian] Hellman avails herself of all these current techniques in telling a story that she keeps telling us may not be a story at all.
1980 May 13, Anatole Broyard, “Books of The Times”, in The New York Times, →ISSN - human sciencesAny invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.
- A statement that does not logically follow a statement that preceded it.
Ralph Wiggum is generally employed as a bottomless fount of glorious non sequiturs, but in “I Love Lisa” he stands in for every oblivious chump who ever deluded himself into thinking that with persistence, determination, and a pure heart he can win the girl of his dreams.
2012 August 5, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 23 Oct 2013 - comedyA kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Latinnōn sequitur
- Englishnon sequitur
Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 推不出
- 推不出 (tuībùchū)invalid argument
Dutch non sequitur, onterechte conclusie
- non sequiturinvalid argument
- onterechte conclusieinvalid argument
Finnish selittämätön siirtymä, non sequitur
- selittämätön siirtymäany abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
- non sequiturany abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
- väärä johtopäätösinvalid argument
- non sequiturinvalid argument
- ei seuraainvalid argument
- väärä johtopäätösstatement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it
- non sequitur -sanaleikkikind of pun
French non sequitur
- non sequiturinvalid argument
German Gedankensprung, unlogisches Argument
- Gedankensprungany abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
- unlogisches Argumentinvalid argument
- Nonsensinvalid argument
- Fehlschlussinvalid argument
- non sequiturinvalid argument
- Fehlschlussstatement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it
- non sequiturstatement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it
- falsche Folgerungstatement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it
Greek ανακολουθία, ανακολουθία
- ανακολουθία (anakolouthía)any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
- ανακολουθία (anakolouthía)invalid argument
Polish coś bez związku, non sequitur
- coś bez związkuany abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence
- non sequiturinvalid argument
- błąd wnioskowaniainvalid argument
- stwierdzenie bez związkustatement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it
- żart polegający na założeniu słuchaczakind of pun
Russian нелогичное заключение
- нелогичное заключение (nelogičnoje zaključenije)invalid argument
Spanish incongruencia, non sequitur (non sékuitur)
- incongruenciainvalid argument
- non sequitur (non sékuitur)invalid argument
Cite this entry
non sequitur. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20sequitur
“non sequitur.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20sequitur. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “non sequitur,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non%20sequitur.
Source: non sequitur on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.