Meaning & use
nonmember
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who does not belong to a particular group, club, or organization.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or the, and the plural is nonmembers.
Patterns
- a nonmember of something
- nonmembers and members
Only members can borrow books; nonmembers must pay a small fee.
The club invites nonmembers to its annual open day.
As a nonmember, she couldn't vote in the election.
adjectivebefore a noun
Not belonging to a particular group or organization.
Grammar: Used before a noun: nonmember guests, nonmember rates.
Patterns
- nonmember guest
- nonmember rate
Nonmember tickets cost twice as much as member tickets.
The hotel offers a discount to nonmember visitors on weekdays.
Word forms
| plural | nonmembers |
|---|
Common combinations
- nonmember rate
- The gym charges a higher nonmember rate for drop-in visits.
- nonmember guest
- Each member may bring one nonmember guest to the event.
- nonmember of the club
- He felt like a nonmember of the club even though he attended every meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outsider
- Outsider suggests someone not accepted by a group, often with a feeling of exclusion; nonmember is neutral and simply states membership status.
- guest
- A guest is invited and usually welcome; a nonmember may simply lack membership and not be invited.
Opposites
Word family
- member noun
- A person who belongs to a group or organization.
- membership noun
- The state of being a member, or the members as a group.
Commonly confused: nonmember or non-member?
nonmember vs non-member
The hyphenated spelling is sometimes seen but is less standard; use nonmember as one word.
Practice
The museum is free for members, but ______ pay $10.
Choose one answer.
The plural nonmembers is needed because the subject refers to all people who are not members. 'A nonmember' would mean just one person, which does not fit the general rule.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nonmember”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.