nontraditional

British  

/ ˌnɒntrəˈdɪʃənəl /

adjective

1. not traditional; unconventional

   nontraditional lifestyles

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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

Robinhood traders flocked to an array of investment options, both traditional and nontraditional, as they sought to cope with the volatility brought upon by the Iran war.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

At that time, accumulating works by women and artists of color working with nontraditional materials that defied formal categories, wasn’t only uncommon — it wasn’t done.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Scientists believe the Bay may act as an emergency feeding stop for whales in poor condition, as unusually thin individuals have been observed foraging in other nontraditional habitats as well.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

Individual investors have flooded into markets, while nontraditional assets from cryptocurrencies to prediction markets have exploded in popularity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Neither do I speak to turtles or greet friends with a nontraditional handshake.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• futuristic
• state-of-the-art