nonaligned

adjective

non·​aligned ˌnän-ə-ˈlīnd How to pronounce nonaligned (audio)
: not allied with other nations and especially with either the Communist or the non-Communist blocs
nonalignment noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Throughout his 20 years in power, Mr. Erdogan has pursued a nonaligned foreign policy that has frequently frustrated his putative Western allies and provided a welcome diplomatic opening for Moscow — perhaps never more so than after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 13 May 2023 Under Erdogan, Turkey has pursued a nonaligned foreign policy that has unnerved its NATO allies. Ben Hubbard, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023 Western Europe’s two biggest nonaligned countries, Finland and Sweden, have applied for membership, uniting most of Europe’s wealthiest countries in opposition to Moscow. Wsj Staff, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2023 During the Cold War, when rivalry between the capitalist West and communist East shaped international affairs, nonaligned countries were labeled as Third World. Daniel Tenreiro, National Review, 25 Feb. 2020 Photo: jonathan nackstrand/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images The two-week NATO exercises, called Trident Juncture, involve around 50,000 service members, 250 aircraft and 65 ships from NATO and Norway’s nonaligned neighbors Sweden and Finland. WSJ, 30 Oct. 2018 That began to change after nonaligned India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974. The Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2018 Many of the countries known as the G77, a group of nonaligned nations that actually has 134 members, often vote opposite the United States. Carol Morello, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2018 What remains of the nonaligned bloc is more nostalgic whimsy than an influential group of nations. Azita Raji, WSJ, 28 Aug. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nonaligned.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonaligned was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near nonaligned

Cite this Entry

“Nonaligned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonaligned. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on nonaligned

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!