Definition of "nonstarter" []

• One that fails to start. (noun)
• An idea, proposal, or candidate with no chance of being accepted or successful: "Many lawmakers are pronouncing the budget a nonstarter” ( Christian Science Monitor). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Democrats initially sought $1 trillion in new taxes as part of a broader $3-trillion deal, a level of revenue Republicans call a nonstarter."
• "Take away funding that would permanently house homeless people, bolster a neighborhood economy, and bring in new jobs is more than a "nonstarter", it is simply foolish."
• "So when Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa calls the Governor's desire to eliminate redevelopment agencies a "nonstarter," I agree with the Mayor whole heartedly."