non sequitur

• non-sequitur, nonsequitur

Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tə/
• (General American, dialects of Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/

  • Audio (California); [ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.ɾɚ]:

    (file)

• (Canada, dialects of the US) IPA^(key): /ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌnɔn ˈsek.wɪ.tə/

  • Audio (Queensland):

    (file)

non sequitur (plural non sequiturs or non sequuntur)

1. (narratology) Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence.

   Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel.

   • 1980 May 13, Anatole Broyard, “Books of The Times”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     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.

2. (logic) Any invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.

   Synonym: fallacy

   Antonym: sequitur

3. A statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it.
   • 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^[2]:

     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.

4. (humor) A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.

   Coordinate term: paraprosdokian

• 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.

• In sense “abrupt transition”, contrast with segue (“move smoothly from one subject to another”), which is etymologically opposite (“does not follow” vs. “follow”). However, segue has connotations of moving between distinct subjects, and thus to segue often means to change rather abruptly, with at best a pretense of smooth transition – in both cases there is often a rapid move between distinct subjects, with the distinction being whether this is done smoothly or not.

• nonsequitous
• non-sequiturial

• sequence
• anacoluthon

• apropos of nothing
• deus ex machina
• fallacy
• paradox
• what does that have to do with the price of tea in China

• non sequitur on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• logical fallacy on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• list of fallacies on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

non sequitur m or n (plural non sequiturs)

1. (logic) non sequitur (invalid argument)

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “nonsequitur”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

• IPA^(key): /nɔ̃ s(ə).ki.tyʁ/
• Hyphenation: non se‧qui‧tur

non sequitur m

1. (logic) non sequitur (invalid argument)

Literally, “it does not follow”.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈnoːn ˈsɛ.kʷɪ.tʊr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈnɔn ˈsɛː.kʷi.t̪ur]
• Hyphenation: nōn se‧qui‧tur

nōn sequitur

1. (logic) (This entry is a descendant hub.) non sequitor (invalid argument)

• → English: non sequitur
• → Dutch: non sequitur
• → French: non sequitur
• → Polish: non sequitur

Learned borrowing from Latin nōn sequitur (literally “it does not follow”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɔn sɛˈkfi.tur/
• Syllabification: non se‧qui‧tur

non sequitur m inan (indeclinable)

1. (logic) non sequitur (invalid argument)
   • 2005, Tomasz P[iotr]. Terlikowski, “W poszukiwaniu Absolutu”, in Ozon, number 22, Warszawa:

     Moim zdaniem jest to jednak błąd non sequitur [polega on na tym, że wniosek nie wypływa logicznie z przesłanek — nawet jeśli są one prawdziwe — przyp. red.]: równość w wymiarze eschatologicznym nie może być uzasadnieniem równości ekonomicznej.

     In my opinion however it is a non sequitur error [it means, that a conclusion does not logically result from premises — even if they are real — editor's note]: equality in the eschatological dimension cannot be the justification of the economic dimension.

• non sequitur in Polish dictionaries at PWN