non-response

Meanings

1. 1noununcountabletechnical

   The failure of a person or group to answer a question, survey, message or request.

   Grammar: Used without 'a': non-response was high.

   Patterns

   • non-response to something

   Non-response was high because the questionnaire was long.

   The researchers worried that non-response could bias the results.

   Her email met with non-response from the whole committee.

2. 2noununcountablemedical

   In medicine, the lack of a helpful reaction by a patient to a treatment.

   Grammar: Followed by to: non-response to the drug.

   Patterns

   • non-response to something

   Doctors tracked non-response to the new drug in older adults.

   Non-response to treatment led them to try another approach.

Common combinations

high non-response

A high non-response rate made the poll unreliable.

non-response bias

The survey team adjusted for non-response bias.

reduce non-response

A reminder letter helped reduce non-response.

non-response rate

The non-response rate was lower online.

non-response to treatment

Non-response to treatment was seen in a small group.

Synonyms and how they differ

silence

Silence is everyday and can be a choice, whereas non-response is a technical word for missing answers in data.

no reply

No reply is casual and used for one message, while non-response suits groups and statistics.

refusal

Refusal means someone says no on purpose, but non-response may only mean no answer was recorded.

Opposites

Word family

respond verb

to answer or react

response noun

an answer or reaction

respondent noun

a person who answers a survey

non-respondent noun

a person who does not answer a survey

Commonly confused: non-response or unresponsive?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “non-response”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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