Non-friend

A 'non-friend' describes an individual with whom a relationship of friendship does not exist. This person may be a casual acquaintance, a stranger, an adversary, or someone previously known but from whom a bond of friendship has dissolved. The absence of friendship implies a lack of trust, shared intimacy, mutual support, and regular social interaction that characterizes genuine friendship. The connection may be neutral, hostile, or simply nonexistent, excluding any feelings or behaviours associated with a friend.

Non-friend meaning with examples

• Sarah always politely acknowledged her neighbor, but they had never socialized beyond that. She considered them a 'non-friend', someone she interacted with regularly due to proximity but did not share any personal details or spend time with socially. Their relationship was purely superficial, lacking the deeper connection of friendship.
• During the heated political debate, the two candidates made it perfectly clear that they were 'non-friends', constantly interrupting each other with insults and personal attacks. Their mutual animosity demonstrated a deep lack of respect and trust, making friendship entirely impossible under the circumstances and environment.
• After the argument, the siblings moved from being best friends to 'non-friends', no longer speaking to one another. The betrayal of trust and the resulting resentment severed the previous intimate connection. The social group that they once shared now became awkward because there was animosity between them.
• Aisha, a social media influencer, had thousands of followers, but she regarded most of them as 'non-friends'. While they engaged with her content, she did not know them personally nor did she view the interaction as resembling friendship. It was simply an audience interacting with her posts.