nonobservant

adjective

non·​ob·​ser·​vant ˌnän-əb-ˈzər-vənt How to pronounce nonobservant (audio)
: not observant
especially : not careful in observing religious rites, laws, and customs
a nonobservant Jew

Examples of nonobservant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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About 300 people, most affiliated with EMIH but also including some nonobservant Hungarian Jews, attended a street celebration that culminated with the affixing of a new mezuzah at the synagogue by Rabbi Szlomo Koves, the head of EMIH. Cnaan Liphshiz, sun-sentinel.com, 8 Sep. 2021 Though not all Jews observe all aspects of the holiday, it’s known as the one holiday on which many nonobservant Jews attend synagogue. Erin Blakemore, National Geographic, 25 Sep. 2020 Rabbi Steinsaltz was a devoted disciple of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who died in 1994, and his Chabad-Lubavitch school of Judaism, which embraces nonobservant Jews and proselytizes among them. Joseph Berger, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nonobservant was in 1751

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Cite this Entry

“Nonobservant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nonobservant. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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