nontraditional
adjective
non·tra·di·tion·al
ˌnän-trə-ˈdish-nəl 
-ˈdi-shə-nᵊl
: not following or conforming to tradition : not adhering to past practices or conventions : not traditional
a nontraditional family
nontraditional students
nontraditional menu items
Many use nontraditional teaching techniques, and they deliberately draw their students from beyond traditional neighborhood boundaries …—
Thomas Toch
Thomas Toch
nontraditionally
adverb
… to learn how to build and sell cars nontraditionally …
—Michael Schrage
Michael Schrage
Examples of nontraditional in a Sentence
a nontraditional couple who are planning a very unconventional wedding
Recent Examples on the Web
Some viewers even felt its liberal use of absurdity in fact grounded the show in the real world compared to the high-minded weepies on daytime, achieving honesty through nontraditional means.
—Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Spanning 23 galleries across the museum’s three floors, this exhibition highlights how 30 contemporary artists use nontraditional materials and processes.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
What’s more exciting to me is seeing a whole new subculture develop — all-cash shows at nontraditional venues, and releasing your own music offline.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Jarvis said the show draws lots of paintings, such as watercolors, and a fair amount of collage work and photography, but nontraditional material also is submitted.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Spanning 23 galleries across the museum’s three floors, this exhibition highlights how 30 contemporary artists use nontraditional materials and processes.
—Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
What’s more exciting to me is seeing a whole new subculture develop — all-cash shows at nontraditional venues, and releasing your own music offline.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
Jarvis said the show draws lots of paintings, such as watercolors, and a fair amount of collage work and photography, but nontraditional material also is submitted.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
Cite this Entry
“Nontraditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontraditional. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
