Nonwinner

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A participant who does not prevail in a competitive event
2. An individual who fails to secure a championship or top spot in a contest
3. A competitor who takes part in a contest but does not achieve victory

Etymology: "Nonwinner" is a plain compound: the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "winner," the noun for someone who wins. Together they name a person who did not win, which is the whole of its construction. Its interest lies less in any surprising history than in how the pieces combine. The prefix "non-" comes from Latin "non," meaning "not," and English has long used it to form negated nouns and adjectives on the fly, so "nonwinner" follows a productive pattern rather than an unusual one. The base "winner" is itself built from "win" with the agent suffix "-er."

Synonyms: loser, defeated, unsuccessful, runner-up, also-ran

Antonyms: winner, champion, victor, success, triumph