Meaning & use
non-swimmer
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Meaning
nouncountable
a person who is unable to swim
Grammar: Countable: one non-swimmer, two non-swimmers; often used after 'a' or in the plural for groups.
Patterns
- a non-swimmer
- non-swimmers and weak swimmers
The pool keeps a shallow lane for non-swimmers and young children.
Life jackets are handed out to non-swimmers before the boat leaves the dock.
As a non-swimmer, she stayed on the beach while her friends went in the water.
Word forms
| plural | non-swimmers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a weak swimmer
- The class mixes non-swimmers with weak swimmers who need extra practice.
- a strong swimmer
- Strong swimmers were allowed past the rope, but non-swimmers had to stay close to shore.
- supervise non-swimmers
- Teachers must supervise non-swimmers at all times during school trips.
- designated area for non-swimmers
- The lake has a designated area for non-swimmers marked by red buoys.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nonswimmer
- The same word written without a hyphen, which is the usual American spelling.
- weak swimmer
- This means someone who can swim a little but not well, so it is not the same as a non-swimmer who cannot swim at all.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: non-swimmer or nonswimmer?
non-swimmer vs nonswimmer
This is not a different word; it is simply the closed-up spelling of non-swimmer used mainly in American English.
Practice
The sign by the lake says that ______ must wear a life jacket at all times.
Choose one answer.
The plural 'non-swimmers' fits because the rule applies to the whole group, and the verb 'must wear' agrees with a plural subject. 'A non-swimmer' would suggest only one specific person, and 'non-swimming' is an adjective, not a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-swimmer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.