nontraditional

adjective

non·​tra·​di·​tion·​al ˌnän-trə-ˈdish-nəl 

-ˈdi-shə-nᵊl

: not following or conforming to tradition : not adhering to past practices or conventions : not traditional

a nontraditional family

nontraditional students

nontraditional menu items

Many use nontraditional teaching techniques, and they deliberately draw their students from beyond traditional neighborhood boundaries …

—Thomas Toch

nontraditionally adverb

… to learn how to build and sell cars nontraditionally …

—Michael Schrage

Synonyms of nontraditional

• unconventional
• modern
• liberal
• progressive
• contemporary
• nonconventional
• radical

Examples of nontraditional in a Sentence

a nontraditional couple who are planning a very unconventional wedding

Recent Examples on the Web

For those Gen Zers who have scored a pair of keys, many are taking nontraditional routes to a down payment. —Jake Angelo, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026

Mueller worries that people will struggle to prove their work history, especially those with nontraditional jobs. —Samantha Liss, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

The remaining Pentagon press corps is largely composed of conservative news websites and networks, along with nontraditional media outlets. —Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026

The brainchild of practitioner Alice Moon, the event (which often sells out) is one of many nontraditional wellness offerings from her company Moon Soul Sound Baths. —Rebecca Leib, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nontraditional

• nontraditional family
• nontraditional student

Rhymes for nontraditional

• compositional
• definitional
• depositional
• dispositional
• intuitional
• oppositional
• prepositional
• propositional
• unconditional
• additional
• conditional
• nutritional