Nonlocals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to individuals or entities that do not originate from a particular area or community; often used in discussions about migration or economic impact; can also describe phenomena or entities that exist outside a local context
2. This expression denotes those who are not native to a specific region or locality; it can relate to people, ideas, or resources that are imported; additionally, it encompasses broader implications for local culture and economy
3. The phrase describes people or aspects that are foreign to a given locality; it may also pertain to external influences or agencies affecting a community; at times, it is associated with issues related to globalization or urban development

Etymology: "Nonlocals" is simply the plural of "nonlocal," and that adjective is a plain compound: the prefix "non-," from Old English "nān" ("not one," a form of "ne" plus "ān," "one"), joined to "local," which comes from Latin "locus," meaning "place." Put together, the word means "not of a given place." The prefix has been part of English since Middle English, when it was already a productive way of building negative terms, so "nonlocal" needed no special coinage to make sense. The noun form takes the word in a people-centred direction. Where "local" describes a person or thing belonging to a particular place, the plural "nonlocals" names the outsiders themselves, which is why the term turns up in discussions of migration and of the economic effects of people arriving from elsewhere. The same logic extends to phenomena with no local anchor, such as physical effects that do not depend on their immediate surroundings, which is the sense that gives the adjective its scientific flavour.

Synonyms: outsiders, foreigners, visitors, strangers, nonresidents

Antonyms: locals, residents, natives, inhabitants, citizens