What does "nonce" mean?
The one or single occasion; the present reason or purpose.
Nonce
/nɒns/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The one or single occasion; the present reason or purpose.
- Grammar: nonce is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: coinage, contemporaneity, contemporaneousness, geek.
- Useful contrasts: established term, longstanding term, reoccurrence.
- Usage evidence: "Chortle" was a nonce word when it was first created, but now it's a regular English word.
How to use "nonce"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "nonce" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "nonce" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "nonce" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "nonce" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "nonce" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "coinage" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "nonce", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The one or single occasion; the present reason or purpose. archaic
"That will do for the nonce, but we'll need a better answer for the long term."
- 2 A sex offender, especially one who is guilty of sexual offences against children. British, Ireland, derogatory
"1989 "assorted nonces, ponces and murderers, 'the worst men in the world' … on the nonce wing, where the child-killers, molesters and various perverts have to be protected from the other prisoners." (New Statesman, New Society, Volume 2, Statesman & Nation Publishing Company Limited)"
- 3 the present occasion wordnet
- 4 A nonce word.
"I had thought that the term was a nonce, but it seems as if it's been picked up by other authors."
- 5 A pedophile. broadly
"‘He's a nonce[. A] nonsense merchant, a paedophile[,’ Terry explained.]"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A value constructed so as to be unique to a particular message in a stream, in order to prevent replay attacks.
"The protocol opens with A communicating in clear to AS his own claimed identity and the identity of the desired correspondent, B, together with A's nonce identifier for this transaction, I_(A1). ("Nonce" means "used only once.")"
- 7 A police informer, one who betrays a criminal enterprise British, Ireland, derogatory, slang
- 8 A stupid or worthless person. British, Ireland, derogatory, slang
"Shut it, ya nonce!"
Adjective
- 1 One-off; produced or created for a single occasion or use. Denoting something occurring once. not-comparable
"But particular men are not stereotyped for jobs nor particular desks (as against others) to sit at - the standard here is nonce."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
""Chortle" was a nonce word when it was first created, but now it's a regular English word."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "nonce"?
Common synonyms include: coinage, contemporaneity, contemporaneousness, geek, historical present, informant.
How do you use "nonce" in a sentence?
"Chortle" was a nonce word when it was first created, but now it's a regular English word.
How do you pronounce "nonce"?
Pronounced /nɒns/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle English nonse, nones, a rebracketing of Middle English to þen anes, for þen anes (to/for the once (i.e., the one occasion or instance)), from the dative singular neuter of þe. The cryptography sense is commonly said to be a contraction of number used once, although this is probably incorrect.
Etymology 2
1975. Unknown, derived from British criminal slang. Several origins have been proposed; possibly derived from dialectal nonce, nonse (“stupid, worthless individual”) (but this cannot be shown to predate nonce "child-molester" and is likely a toned-down usage of the same insult), or Nance, nance (“effeminate man, homosexual”), from nancy or nancyboy. The rhyme with ponce has also been noted. As prison slang also said to be an acronym for "Not On Normal Communal Exercise" (Stevens 2012), but this is likely a backronym.