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

To stay ahead, researchers are investing in nontraditional therapies, many of which work in fundamentally different ways than standard antibiotics. —André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 21 Jan. 2026

Bullitt, Oldham, Shelby, Meade, and Nelson county schools shifted to nontraditional instruction. —Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 21 Jan. 2026

And a reminder that nontraditional paths to the top can work—when they’re valued. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026

Its product, called isaac, takes a nontraditional approach to glucose awareness. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 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