nonbinary

adjective

non·​bi·​na·​ry ˌnän-ˈbī-nə-rē 

-ˌner-ē, 

-ˌne-rē

: not binary: such as

a

: not restricted to two things or parts

nonbinary voting

b

: of, relating to, or being a system of numbers that does not use 2 as its base

nonbinary math

c

or non-binary : relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female

non-binary people

… an effort to create more equality for nonbinary and transgender students across campus.

—Phoebe Roe

… many people with nonbinary genders use "they" and "their" pronouns …

—Lucy Brisbane

… the normalization of sharing pronouns emphasizes the fact that everyone has preferred pronouns, not just trans and non-binary folks.

—Christina M. Xiao

Examples of nonbinary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The event takes place during the three-day Through Her Lens program, which supports female and nonbinary filmmakers through a lineup of workshops, conversations and industry mentorship, sponsored by Tribeca and Chanel. — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

The Emmy and Oscar-winning King sits on this year’s jury, in a position that gives her the power to help unlock the gate for the next great female or nonbinary filmmaker. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

Those percentages add up to about 6,600 transgender or nonbinary students enrolled out of a total of 301,000. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Although there have been significant wins for LGBTQ+ equality since its inception, Thorud said the organization faces similar issues to those of 35 years ago, including a lack of representation for transgender and nonbinary journalists. — Kat Tran, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonbinary

• refinery
• binary
• finery
• winery

Medical Definition

nonbinary

adjective

non·​bi·​na·​ry -ˈbī-nə-rē 

-ˌner-ē

variants or non-binary

: relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female

Nonbinary people—individuals who identify as both male or female, neither male nor female, … and/or reject all gender identities—may experience unique mental health stressors due to cultural invisibility and ignorance surrounding nonbinary identities.

—Abbie E. Goldberg et al., The Counseling Psychologist

… some non-binary people who were assigned female at birth had chest surgery and/or took hormones. Others did not engage in these methods, but modified some visible markers of gender in other ways …

—Christina Richards et al., International Review of Psychiatry