Nonunionized

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Not organized into or represented by a labor union for collective bargaining purposes
2. Not affiliated with or represented by any labor union that engages in negotiations for better work conditions and benefits
3. Lacking affiliation with or representation by a labor union involved in collective bargaining or negotiations for workers' rights and benefits

Etymology: The prefix here is the older one: "non-" comes from Latin "non," meaning "not," and in English it has been attached freely to adjectives and nouns for centuries. "Nonunionized" is simply that prefix joined to "unionized," the past-participle-style adjective built on "union," in its sense of a organized body of workers. Its meaning is plain: a workplace, trade, or worker who is not organized into or represented by a labor union. The word's history is a case of straightforward compounding rather than a story of invention. Nothing in its making is tied to a particular coiner or event; it is a transparent combination of two existing English elements, which is why its sense can be read directly from its parts. The Old English word "nān," meaning "not one," is an ancestor of the same negative idea, but the English prefix used here reaches us through Latin rather than through that Germanic line.

Synonyms: unorganized, non-affiliated

Antonyms: unionized, collectivized