non sequitur

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non sequitur

/ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tə/ UK
/ˌnɑn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/ US, dialectal
/ˌnɒn ˈsɛk.wɪ.tɚ/ Canada, dialectal
/ˌnɔn ˈsek.wɪ.tə/ Australia

Where it comes from

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

noun non sequiturs · non sequuntur · non-sequitur · nonsequitur

Any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence. Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter non sequitur in the novel.
Any invalid argument in which the conclusion cannot be logically deduced from the premises.
Similar: fallacy · Opposite: sequitur
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.
A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener’s expectation.

Translations

Every language

noun any abrupt and inexplicable transition or occurrence

Deutsch	Gedankensprung
Ελληνικά	ανακολουθία anakolouthía

noun invalid argument

Español	incongruencia, non sequitur (non sékuitur)
中文	推不出 tuībùchū
Français	non sequitur
Deutsch	unlogisches Argument, Nonsens, Fehlschluss, non sequitur
Ελληνικά	ανακολουθία anakolouthía
Русский	нелогичное заключение nelogičnoje zaključenije

noun statement that does not logically follow a statement that came before it

Deutsch	Fehlschluss, non sequitur, falsche Folgerung

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MLA

"non sequitur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/non%20sequitur. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

non sequitur. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/non%20sequitur

Chicago

"non sequitur." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/non%20sequitur.

BibTeX

@misc{non_sequitur_2026,
  title = {non sequitur},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/non%20sequitur},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}