nonclassical

American  

[non-klas-i-kuhl] / nɒnˈklæs ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. not classical or contrary to classical precepts.

2. Physics. pertaining to a law, theory, or observation that cannot be expressed or understood in terms of Newtonian physics.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonclassically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of nonclassical

First recorded in 1925–30; non- + classical

Example Sentences

Each of those states represented a specific nonclassical correlation among the three incoming photons.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

Finneas shared in most of those Grammys, with his own 2020 win for producer of the year, nonclassical.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023

And the engineers who worked on “Chloë and the Next 20th Century,” the latest album from onetime Seattleite and current Sub Pop star Father John Misty, are up for best engineered album, nonclassical.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 4, 2023

It was an unexpected boom: in the decades prior, nonclassical music documentaries had received only scattered nominations.

From New York Times • Mar. 1, 2022

No one who has heard Kendrick Lamar’s stunning album “Damn” could be at all surprised that it is the first nonclassical or jazz recording to win a Pulitzer Prize.

From Washington Post • Apr. 17, 2018