literally nonexistent

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "literally nonexistent" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to emphasize that something does not exist in any form or capacity. Example: "The evidence for his claims was literally nonexistent, leaving no room for doubt about their validity."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Mr. Frankel added, "A.C.S. should look closely at their internal safeguards, which are literally nonexistent, particularly within the adoption subsidy program".

The New York Times

Their own music doesn't contain harmony, and instead is performed exclusively by soloists the band scene in Tsimane villages is literally nonexistent.

Science Magazine

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

I literally think about nonexistent parties and their never-gonna-happen details at red lights.

Huffington Post

According to the other worlds strategy, nonexistent objects literally have the properties through which they are "characterized"—but they have these properties not in the actual world but only in those worlds in which they exist.

SEP

For instance, the (nonexistent) golden mountain literally is golden and a mountain; the round square literally is round and a square.

SEP

With a nonexistent commute, Mr. Wright literally lives his job.

The New York Times

But to a media that's largely locked tight against progressive writers anyway, having a column on HuffPost has proven to be literally worth more than the nonexistent dollars that progressives could never get from the Foxes and Clear Channels that have blanketed the media world.

Huffington Post

What begins as an engaging drama soon dissolves into a Kafkaesque search for a nonexistent homeland —for a place, quite literally, to rest.

The New York Times

It, too, is a movie that converts images into physical sensations; it, too, is immersive (cameras are literally immersed); it, too, treats human participants like environmental furniture, devoid of inner lives, nonexistent apart from the task at hand.

The New Yorker

Data plans were nonexistent, and the habits that are so pervasive in our daily life literally didn't exist.

Huffington Post

Virtually nonexistent.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "literally nonexistent" to emphasize the complete absence of something, leaving no room for doubt. For example, "The chance of success was literally nonexistent."

Common error

Avoid using "literally nonexistent" when a simple "nonexistent" suffices. Overusing "literally" weakens its impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "literally nonexistent" functions as an adjective phrase to emphatically describe the complete absence of something. As Ludwig AI explains, it underscores that something does not exist in any form or capacity. Its purpose is to highlight a total lack.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Encyclopedias

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "literally nonexistent" is used to strongly emphasize the complete absence of something. Ludwig AI confirms that it is grammatically correct and appropriate for written English, particularly when underscoring the total lack of existence. Though relatively rare, its usage is found in both news and scientific contexts. When using the phrase, consider if the emphasis is truly necessary to avoid redundancy, and remember that alternatives like "completely absent" or "entirely lacking" might sometimes be more suitable. The phrase can be found in authoritative sources such as The New York Times and Science Magazine.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

completely absent

Emphasizes total absence, focusing on the lack of presence.

entirely absent

Highlights the complete absence of something, similar to "completely absent".

totally lacking

Focuses on the deficiency or complete lack of something.

absolutely nonexistent

Adds emphasis to the nonexistence, strengthening the original phrase.

virtually absent

Indicates near or practical absence, a slightly weaker form.

effectively nonexistent

Implies that something might technically exist but has no practical effect.

nonexistent in practice

Highlights that even if something exists in theory, it does not exist in reality.

conspicuously absent

Emphasizes that the absence is noticeable or striking.

nowhere to be found

Describes the inability to locate something due to its absence.

simply not there

A straightforward way to express that something is absent.

FAQs

How can I use "literally nonexistent" in a sentence?

You can use "literally nonexistent" to emphasize that something does not exist at all. For example, "The evidence was "completely absent", almost "literally nonexistent"."

What does "literally nonexistent" mean?

"Literally nonexistent" means something is absolutely not present or does not exist in any form.

Is it redundant to say "literally nonexistent"?

While "nonexistent" already implies a lack of existence, adding "literally" can emphasize the complete absence of something, though it should be used sparingly to avoid redundancy.

What are some alternatives to "literally nonexistent"?

Alternatives include "completely absent", "entirely lacking", or "absolutely nonexistent" depending on the desired nuance.