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nonpolar

American

[non-poh-ler] / nɒnˈpoʊ lər /

adjective

Physical Chemistry.

containing no permanently dipolar molecules; lacking a dipole.

Etymology

Origin of nonpolar

First recorded in 1890–95; non- + polar

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.

The fact that hydrogen cyanide, a strongly polar molecule, can form crystals together with nonpolar substances like methane and ethane is remarkable, since these types of molecules usually stay separate, much like oil and water.

From Science Daily • Oct. 17, 2025

Polar and nonpolar molecules rarely mix, because polar molecules preferentially attract one another via electrostatic interactions.

From Science Daily • Oct. 17, 2025

The Atacama is the driest nonpolar desert on Earth.

From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2022

Likewise, nonpolar liquids are miscible with each other because there is no appreciable difference in the strengths of solute-solute, solvent- solvent, and solute-solvent intermolecular attractions.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

In general, stranding reports suggest that goosebeaked whales are sparsely but widely distributed in nonpolar latitudes.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by Caldwell, David

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023