What does nonuse mean?
Nonuse means the failure or omission of use. In ordinary contexts, it can describe a resource, facility, privilege, or other thing that is not being used, but the word is especially associated with legal disputes over trademarks, patents, property, and other rights. For example, a trademark owner may lose protection if the mark is not used in commerce and the owner does not explain why. Nonuse can therefore carry a more formal and consequential tone than a simple description of something being unused. It is also related to the legal idea of abandonment, although nonuse and abandonment are not always identical: abandonment may require an intent to relinquish a right as well as a failure to use it. The term is most useful in precise legal or administrative writing rather than informal conversation.
nounThe fact or condition of not using something. In legal contexts, it may refer to a person's failure to use a property, privilege, or trademark, potentially affecting ownership or legal rights.
- The fact of not using a thing, right, privilege, or property.
- Legal non-use of a trademark or other right, potentially resulting in abandonment or the loss of legal protection.
"Years of nonuse caused the company to lose its registration for the trademark."
"The court considered the prolonged nonuse of the patented design."
"Evidence of the company’s nonuse of the trademark supported the opponent’s claim."
The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon, even in legal writing.
"The court examined the alleged nonuses of the registered marks."
In trademark law, prolonged nonuse can cause a registered mark to be abandoned, putting its owner's rights at risk.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonuse come from?
Nonuse was formed in English by combining the prefix non-, meaning “not,” with use. The element use comes through Old French from Latin usare, a frequentative form of uti, “to use.” Related Latin words include utilis, “useful,” which developed into English utility, and usura, “use” or “borrowing,” which is the source of usury and usurp.
How nonuse is actually used
The term is relatively uncommon in general prose but is standard in legal and administrative contexts. It is more often used with a possessor or owner, or with rights and property, than as a general description of an object remaining unused.
Easily confused with nonuse
Nonuse emphasizes the failure or omission of use, especially as a legal issue, whereas disuse more often means that something has fallen out of use.