non-existence

/ˌnɒn ɪɡˈzɪstəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌnɑːn ɪɡˈzɪstəns/ (ame, ipa)

non-existence — noun

1. the state in which a person, thing, or idea does not exist at all, or is only im

1.名詞C1
釋義

the state in which a person, thing, or idea does not exist at all, or is only imagined rather than real

例句

The report confirmed the non-existence of any school records before 1950.

confirm the non-existence of + noun phrase

Police cited the non-existence of camera footage from the broken system.

formal pattern: the non-existence of evidence

同義詞
  • absence

    more general and common; often means something is not present, not that it has no reality

  • lack

    usually focuses on something needed but missing, with a less formal tone

  • unreality

    focuses more on something seeming unreal than on literal absence

反義詞
  • existence

    the direct opposite meaning of being real or present

  • reality

    emphasizes actual truth or real presence

文法句型

the non-existence of + noun

prove the non-existence of + noun

confirm the non-existence of + noun

用法筆記

Usually appears in formal statements, arguments, and reports rather than everyday conversation. It most often occurs before 'of' plus a noun naming something said to be absent, unreal, or impossible to prove.

常見錯誤

❌The witness proved non-existence of the file.
✅The witness proved the non-existence of the file.
💡This noun normally takes 'the' in the common pattern 'the non-existence of ...'.