non-Western

adjective

non-West·​ern ˌnän-ˈwe-stərn 

1

: not being part of the western tradition

non-Western countries

2

: of or relating to non-Western societies

non-Western values

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The unwillingness to pay more intensifies at restaurants serving non-Western food, said Christina Nguyen, the chef and a co-owner of Hai Hai, a Southeast Asian restaurant in Minneapolis with a 20 percent service charge. —Priya Krishna, New York Times, 15 May 2023

His compositions often made connections with non-Western styles, and his musical practices drew on Eastern spirituality and meditation. —Jon Pareles, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2023

Russian sanctions woke up non-Western nations to the vulnerability of their U.S. dollar reserves. —Sanford Mann, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023

The Academy has struggled to recognize non-Western cinema at all in that time. —Ryan Gaur, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

non-Western

adjective

non-West·​ern

(ˈ)nän-ˈwes-tərn

1

: not being part of the western tradition

non-Western countries

2

: of or relating to non-Western societies

non-Western values