non pros.
C1Formal, Technical/Legal
Definition
Meaning
A legal abbreviation meaning 'non prosequitur', indicating a judgment or action against a plaintiff who fails to pursue a lawsuit within the required timeframe.
The action or result of a court dismissing a case due to the plaintiff's failure to prosecute it. Informally, it can metaphorically describe abandoning or failing to follow through on an endeavour.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a technical legal term. Its non-legal use is rare and highly figurative. Always appears as an abbreviation or in its full Latin form 'non prosequitur'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Used in both UK and US legal systems, though 'strike out' or 'dismiss for want of prosecution' are more common descriptive phrases in everyday UK legal parlance.
Connotations
Strongly negative in a legal context, implying negligence or forfeiture of rights by the plaintiff.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general language. Slightly higher frequency in written legal documents than in speech.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The court [verb: entered/granted/awarded] a non pros.The plaintiff [verb: suffered/was subject to] a non pros. for failing to...To [verb: non-pros] a case (rare verbal use).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Figurative] His ambitious plans were non-prossed by a lack of funding.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used outside of specific legal discussions concerning litigation.
Academic
Only in law journals, textbooks, or historical texts discussing legal procedure.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be misunderstood by most non-lawyers.
Technical
Core terminology in civil procedure law.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The claimant's delay was so excessive that the court felt compelled to non-pros. the action.
American English
- The judge indicated he would non pros. the case if the plaintiff's counsel did not file the brief by Friday.
adjective
British English
- The non-pros. judgment was a significant setback for the claimant.
American English
- They reviewed the grounds for a non-pros. motion.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The case was dropped because the plaintiff did not proceed with it. (Simplified paraphrase)
- A 'non pros.' is a legal term for when a court ends a case because the person who started it doesn't move forward.
- Fearing a non pros., the plaintiff's solicitor filed the necessary documents just before the deadline.
- The defendant's application for a judgment of non pros. was granted after the claimant failed to serve particulars for over a year.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'NON-PROSequitur' → the plaintiff does NOT PROceed with the SeQUITUR (the following part) of the case.
Conceptual Metaphor
LEGAL FORFEITURE IS A PENALTY FOR INACTION.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'non-professional'.
- Не переводить буквально как "не профессионал". Это юридический термин, означающий "оставление иска без рассмотрения за неявкой истца" или "прекращение производства по делу за нерадивостью истца".
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a noun to mean a non-professional person.
- Pronouncing 'pros' as in 'professionals' (/proʊz/) instead of the legal abbreviation (/prɒs/ or /prɑːs/).
- Omitting the period after 'pros.'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the term 'non pros.'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a highly specialised legal term. Most native speakers outside the legal profession would not be familiar with it.
It stands for the Latin phrase 'non prosequitur', which means 'he does not prosecute'.
Yes, though rarely. In legal circles, one can say "to non-pros. a case," meaning to have it dismissed for failure to prosecute.
The lawsuit is dismissed, often preventing the plaintiff from re-filing the same claim, effectively ending their legal action.