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 plaintiffs in the case make up a group of mostly anonymous nonbinary Hoosiers who sought the X option on their drivers licenses but were denied. —Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Apr. 2024

The letter cites the death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen in Oklahoma, who was attacked in a school restroom by classmates and died the next day. —Andrew Sheeler, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024

Zhao is an Asian woman; Corrin is nonbinary; Longoria is Latina; Bravo is Afro-Panamanian and Jewish; Gladstone is Indigenous; and Wachowski is transgender. —Angelique Jackson, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024

There is a nonbinary and pansexual person who also has a physical disability. —Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024

An Oklahoma district attorney declined to file charges in connection with the death of nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict, officials said Thursday. —S. Dev, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2024

The death of a nonbinary teen who collapsed a day after an altercation at a high school in Owasso, Okla., has been ruled a suicide, according to a summary report released Wednesday by the state’s chief medical examiner. —Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

This Sunday, people from Kosovo to the Netherlands to the U.S. are organizing events to celebrate the transgender and nonbinary community — marking the 15th year of International Transgender Visibility Day. —Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 30 Mar. 2024

The high school’s school site council — made up of parents, teachers, students and administrators — pledged to do better and establish a clear and welcoming policy for nonbinary and transgender students. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

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