nonsmoker

noun

non·​smok·​er ˌnän-ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
plural nonsmokers
: a person who does not smoke tobacco : a person who is not a smoker
Radon poisoning is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.—Jonathan Scholles

Examples of nonsmoker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the landscape of lung cancer patients shifts to more nonsmokers — defined as people who have smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime — screening guidelines based on risk rather than smoking history could save more lives. — Meeri Kim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 This was after accounting for factors including age, smoking, physical activity, body weight and existing medical conditions — though nonsmokers who habitually consumed tea and had high physical activity had the lowest cardiovascularrisk. — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026 This type of cancer affects both smokers and nonsmokers, although Leo is not known to ever have been a smoker. — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 Cancer that is found at the earliest stages, like that of the pope, can be treated with surgery and cured for both smokers and nonsmokers. — Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonsmoker

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonsmoker was in 1846

Rhymes for nonsmoker

See All Rhymes for nonsmoker

Browse Nearby Words

nonslip
nonsmoker
nonsmoking
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonsmoker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonsmoker. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

nonsmoker

noun
non·​smok·​er -ˈsmō-kər How to pronounce nonsmoker (audio)
: a person who does not smoke tobacco
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All