neurodiverse

American  

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

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

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

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

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2025

"Parents of children with autism or neurodiverse children have stress levels proven to be that of a combat soldier."

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2025

The consequences of these delays are profound: children miss out on critical early interventions; families face unnecessary stress, and our society loses the opportunity to fully support neurodiverse individuals from the start.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2025

At least that ridiculousness would match the revelation here that Chris funds an academy of brilliant neurodiverse children able to hack into any camera, computer or city streetlight.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025