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

nontraditionally adverb

… to learn how to build and sell cars nontraditionally …

—Michael Schrage

Synonyms of nontraditional

• unconventional
• modern
• liberal
• progressive
• contemporary
• nonconventional
• radical

Examples of nontraditional in a Sentence

a nontraditional couple who are planning a very unconventional wedding

Recent Examples on the Web

Greater institutional participation in tokenized equity markets could contribute to additional trading activity and liquidity, potentially affecting price formation during weekend and other nontraditional trading periods. — William Jones, IndyStar, 18 Sep. 2026

Kading said a handful of things are needed for a perfect Oktoberfest, like beer, authentic food, games and polka music – in addition to a mix of nontraditional items. — Blaise Mesa, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Its curatorial methods may not force a reconsideration of how to rethink a museum, but giving audiences of nontraditional forms of art the weight of an entire institution could prove more consequential. — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The nontraditional nature of the ceremony was the newlyweds’ favorite part. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing nontraditional

• nontraditional family
• nontraditional student

Rhymes for nontraditional

• compositional
• definitional
• depositional
• dispositional
• intuitional
• oppositional
• prepositional
• propositional
• unconditional
• additional
• conditional
• nutritional