nonfunctional

adjective

non·​func·​tion·​al ˌnän-ˈfəŋ(k)-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

: not functional: such as

a

: having no function : serving or performing no useful purpose

Naive art … tends to be decorative and nonfunctional.

—Robert Atkins

b

: not performing or able to perform a regular function

… the entire network is rendered nonfunctional if the central controller fails.

—Charles Feltman

nonfunctionally adverb

Synonyms of nonfunctional

• nonfunctioning
• malfunctioning
• down
• inoperable
• inoperative
• broken
• out of commission

Examples of nonfunctional in a Sentence

that gas pump is nonfunctional, which is the reason for the plastic bag over the nozzle

Recent Examples on the Web

Critics alleged inhumane conditions, including poor food, nonfunctional toilets and a lack of access to attorneys. —Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 17 June 2026

Suite 305, Sacramento Number of violations: 12 Date: Thursday, May 21 Health inspectors gave a yellow placard to the Natomas Mediterranean restaurant after finding a nonfunctional handwashing station. —Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado may 29, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026

Las Vegas passed a law in 2021 banning much of the valley’s ornamental turfgrass starting in 2027, and Phoenix wants to remove nonfunctional turfgrass from medians and business parks. —Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026

This new statute requires various property owners, including HOAs, to either remove nonfunctional turf or begin irrigating it with reclaimed water. —Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonfunctional

• bifunctional
• dysfunctional
• functional
• junctional

Medical Definition

nonfunctional

adjective

non·​func·​tion·​al -ˈfəŋ(k)-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

: nonfunctioning

a nonfunctional muscle