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definitions

nonstandard

[ non-stan-derd ]
/ ˈnɒnˈstæn dərd /
|

adjective

not standard.
not conforming in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc., to the usage characteristic of and considered acceptable by most educated native speakers; lacking in social prestige or regionally or socially limited in use: a nonstandard dialect; nonstandard English.Compare standard(def 27).
Mathematics. of or relating to a generalized system of numbers that includes the real numbers but also includes infinite and infinitesimal numbers: nonstandard analysis.

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RELATED WORDS

abnormal, psycho, weird, deviant, ill-formed, atypical, bizarre, different, flaky, mental, odd, off-color, peculiar, strange, unusual, off-base, improper, inaccurate, incorrect, imprecise

Nearby words

  1. nonspecific protein,
  2. nonspecific urethritis,
  3. nonspecular reflection,
  4. nonsporting,
  5. nonsporting dog,
  6. nonstarter,
  7. nonstative,
  8. nonsteroidal,
  9. nonstick,
  10. nonstoichiometric

Origin of nonstandard

First recorded in 1920–25; non- + standard

Usage note

A term labeled Nonstandard in this dictionary is one that is thought to be characteristic of the speech of persons with little education—a term that is often regarded as a marker of low social status.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for non-standard

British Dictionary definitions for non-standard

nonstandard

/ (nɒnˈstændəd) /

adjective

denoting or characterized by idiom, vocabulary, etc, that is not regarded as correct and acceptable by educated native speakers of a language; not standard
deviating from a given standard
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for non-standard

non-standard

adj.

also nonstandard, 1926, from non- + standard. A linguist's value-neutral term for language formerly stigmatized as "bad" or "vulgar."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper