neurodiverse

American  

[noor-oh-dahy-vurs, nyoor-] / ˌnʊər oʊ daɪˈvɜrs, ˌnjʊər- /

adjective

1. having or relating to atypical neurological traits and ways of thinking; not neurotypical.

2. consisting of or relating to people with a variety of neurological traits or ways of thinking.

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Other Word Forms

• neurodiversity
  noun

Explanation

Someone who's neurodiverse has a brain that doesn't work in a typical way. It's common to describe someone with autism spectrum disorder as neurodiverse. People's brains function in widely different ways, and the etymology of neurodiverse reflects that fact: it comes from neuro-, "pertaining to the nervous system," and diverse, "differing from one another." Someone who's neurodiverse has neurological differences from the average person. This might mean they have difficulty communicating or using language; or that they have a learning disability or an attention disorder.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neurodiverse

How can providers get the information they need to understand their neurodiverse patients’ experience, and to give them the right kind of care?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The salon has been nominated for a National Diversity Award and, Caroline says, hairdressers are "thinking more about how to make their salons more neurodiverse friendly".

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

A neurodiverse workgroup of researchers has identified crisis warning signs specific to autistic people, including a noticeable decline in verbal communication abilities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

In between customers she explains how working at the cafe has given her confidence and a sense of pride and now trains others on how to work with neurodiverse and disabled staff.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2025

The consequences of these delays are profound: children miss out on critical early interventions; families face unnecessary stress, and our society loses the opportunity to fully support neurodiverse individuals from the start.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2025