non-winners
|non-win-ners|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈwɪnərz/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈwɪnəz/
(non-winner)
not a winner
Etymology
'non-winner' originates from English, composed of the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') and the noun 'winner' (from the verb 'win').
'winner' developed from Old English 'winnan' meaning 'to strive, contend'; this led through Middle English 'winnen' to the agent noun 'winner' in modern English, and the negative prefix 'non-' was later combined with 'winner' to form 'non-winner'.
Initially, Old English 'winnan' meant 'to struggle or strive'; over time 'win' came to mean 'to be victorious', and 'winner' became 'one who is victorious'. 'Non-winner' therefore came to mean 'one who is not victorious'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
people, teams, or entries that do not win; those who fail to achieve first place or victory.
After the ceremony, the non-winners congratulated the winners and reflected on what to improve next time.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2026/01/13 06:37