Nonpayers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals or entities that fail to fulfill financial obligations or debts on time
2. those who consistently evade paying dues or charges
3. the collective term for those noted for not settling their financial responsibilities

Etymology: "Nonpayers" is the plural of "nonpayer," a noun built from the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "payer," one who pays. The combination is transparent: a nonpayer is simply someone who does not pay what is owed. The prefix is a Latin negative, from "non," "not," and it has been productive in English for centuries, producing countless formations such as "nonresident" and "nonmember" on the same pattern. Because "payer" is itself an ordinary agent noun built on "pay," the word needs no special history to be understood. Its plural follows the regular English rule of adding "-s" to a count noun. The word's meaning therefore rests entirely on the two parts working together, which is why it reads so plainly whenever someone talks about people avoiding bills, dues or taxes.