neurodiverse

American  

[noor-oh-dahy-vurs, nyoor-] / ˌnʊər oʊ daɪˈvɜrs, ˌnjʊər- /

adjective

1. having or relating to atypical neurological traits and ways of thinking; not neurotypical.

2. consisting of or relating to people with a variety of neurological traits or ways of thinking.

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Other Word Forms

• neurodiversity
  noun

Explanation

Someone who's neurodiverse has a brain that doesn't work in a typical way. It's common to describe someone with autism spectrum disorder as neurodiverse. People's brains function in widely different ways, and the etymology of neurodiverse reflects that fact: it comes from neuro-, "pertaining to the nervous system," and diverse, "differing from one another." Someone who's neurodiverse has neurological differences from the average person. This might mean they have difficulty communicating or using language; or that they have a learning disability or an attention disorder.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neurodiverse

The 2026 Mental Health and Social Inclusion study also found that stand-up “enables performers, including those with neurodiverse traits, to reclaim personal narratives and engage in peer-supported communities of practice.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

How can providers get the information they need to understand their neurodiverse patients’ experience, and to give them the right kind of care?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

A neurodiverse workgroup of researchers has identified crisis warning signs specific to autistic people, including a noticeable decline in verbal communication abilities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

More complicated and controversial are the results suggesting Hitler may have had one or more neurodiverse or mental health conditions.

From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025

The social enterprise employs 25 neurodiverse adults and uses Access to Work to support most of them.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025