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 nonprofit has grown to 11,000 members worldwide and is a preeminent advocacy group supporting female-identifying and nonbinary people in animation, visual effects and gaming. —Lou Ponsi, Orange County Register, 19 Apr. 2024

Yet menopause studies rarely consider trans men and nonbinary people, along with younger women and girls who experience menopause due to cancer treatment, surgery, or health conditions that affect ovarian function. —Rachel E. Gross, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2024

The prison also houses transgender and nonbinary persons. —Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024

In exchange, the network provides educational workshops for members about how to make transgender and nonbinary people feel comfortable in their chairs. —Ben Kesslen Dustin Miller, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024

In its opinion Tuesday, the Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s 2022 order that the BMV reinstate the X option for nonbinary Hoosiers. —Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Apr. 2024

Connect, a feature that allows women and nonbinary riders and drivers to request other women and nonbinary people as passengers or drivers. —William Gavin, Quartz, 10 Apr. 2024

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

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