This means 'without doing something.' It shows that something else happened even though the first thing did not.
Verb [dictionary form] + ことなしにPrimary
This means 'without doing something.' It shows that something else happened even though the first thing did not.
努力することなしに、成功はあり得ない。
Without effort, success is impossible.
彼らは十分な議論をすることなしに、その重要な決定を下してしまった。
They made that important decision without sufficient discussion.
お客様の同意を得ることなしに、個人情報を第三者に提供することはございません。
We will not provide personal information to third parties without obtaining the customer's consent.
彼は誰の助けも借りることなしに、たった一人でその大事業を成し遂げた。
He accomplished that great enterprise all by himself, without borrowing help from anyone.
予告することなしに、抜き打ちテストが行われることがある。
Sometimes, pop quizzes are held without any prior notice.
This phrase makes the 'without' part very strong. It shows something big happened even though something else was missing. It's like saying, 'Wow, that happened even without this important thing!' Adding 'は' makes it even stronger. It means, 'It's impossible unless this happens.'
This is more formal than "-zu ni" and "-nai de." You will mostly see it in books. "-zu ni" is also formal but you can use it more often. You can use "-nashi ni" with verb stems. But you need "dictionary form + koto" for this grammar.
Don't use this when you want to end a sentence. For example, you cannot say "彼は行ったことなしに。" This phrase connects two parts of a sentence. It usually comes in the middle or at the start. The part after it shows what happened. This could be something good or surprising. Or it could be something that cannot happen without the first thing.
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