Meanings
nounnon-starter (plural non-starters)
plural non-starters
- Someone or something who was listed to start in a race, but did not start in the race.
- Something that is destined to fail from the outset; an impractical scheme.
Whatever is decided, it is clear that Crossrail 2 must be regarded as a non-starter for the foreseeable future.
2020 December 2, Industry Insider, “The costs of cutting carbon”, in Rail, page 76
Origin
Translations
German Totalausfall, aussichtslose Sache
- Totalausfalllisted to start in a race, but did not start
- aussichtslose Sachesomething that is destined to fail from the outset
- totgeborenes Kindsomething that is destined to fail from the outset
- keine ernstzunehmende Ideean idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated
Polish osoba niestartująca, pomysł bez szans
- osoba niestartującalisted to start in a race, but did not start
- pomysł bez szanssomething that is destined to fail from the outset
- pomysł bez szansan idea or argument that cannot be sensibly debated
Cite this entry
APA
non-starter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-starter
MLA
“non-starter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-starter. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “non-starter,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/non-starter.
Source: non-starter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.