nontraditional
Britishadjective
Explanation
Anything that's different from the usual customs or traditions is nontraditional. Riding a unicycle to school is a nontraditional form of transportation. Tradition is the passing on of beliefs and rules through the generations. People or things that don't follow these traditions, instead inventing new ways of doing things, are nontraditional. Nontraditional schools are different from most — maybe they don't have grades, or have classes open to students of any age. For a long time, jobs like being a doctor or a soldier or a truck driver were considered nontraditional for women, although this has changed somewhat through the years.
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.
Enlisting more nontraditional suppliers could boost the Pentagon’s limited access to U.S. manufacturing capacity for some programs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Health insurers Oscar and Centene are expected to benefit as AI-driven job disruption expands the nontraditional workforce.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
But with the arrival of their new baby, the two found that James’ nontraditional hours can save them money.
From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026
As you might imagine, Moon is fairly nontraditional herself.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
“When it’s time to bail, there are nontraditional routes that most people don’t know. They won’t be gridlocked like the freeways.”
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
