nontraditional
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's different from the usual customs or traditions is nontraditional. Riding a unicycle to school is a nontraditional form of transportation. Tradition is the passing on of beliefs and rules through the generations. People or things that don't follow these traditions, instead inventing new ways of doing things, are nontraditional. Nontraditional schools are different from most — maybe they don't have grades, or have classes open to students of any age. For a long time, jobs like being a doctor or a soldier or a truck driver were considered nontraditional for women, although this has changed somewhat through the years.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Its curatorial methods may not force a reconsideration of how to rethink a museum, but giving audiences of nontraditional forms of art the weight of an entire institution could prove more consequential.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
It makes sense, given the growth of nontraditional investments, particularly among younger investors.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
Enlisting more nontraditional suppliers could boost the Pentagon’s limited access to U.S. manufacturing capacity for some programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
Health insurers Oscar and Centene are expected to benefit as AI-driven job disruption expands the nontraditional workforce.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
As soon as the footlights came on, however, the production’s nontraditional emphasis became clear.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
