Nonplace
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An anthropological space of transience where human beings remain anonymous, such as an airport or shopping mall.
"Marc Auge identifies the nonplace as both a symptom and product of supermodernity. Auge's designation of the nonplace is neither prescriptive nor apocalyptic, realizing that the differential relation between place and nonplace is never absolute. The proliferation of nonplaces, however, is directly related to transnational capital and "supermodernity"; indeed, the nonplace is one of its products and mechanisms. Accordingly, the nonplace "designates two complementary but distinct […]"
- 2 That which is not a place but has some aspects of one, such as cyberspace.
Example
More examples"Marc Auge identifies the nonplace as both a symptom and product of supermodernity. Auge's designation of the nonplace is neither prescriptive nor apocalyptic, realizing that the differential relation between place and nonplace is never absolute. The proliferation of nonplaces, however, is directly related to transnational capital and "supermodernity"; indeed, the nonplace is one of its products and mechanisms. Accordingly, the nonplace "designates two complementary but distinct […]"
Etymology
Calque of French non-lieu, non- + place.
More for "nonplace"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.