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

Why are nontraditional political parties and factions, many of them extremist, gaining strength in Europe and elsewhere? —Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026

Blogs run by traditional media organizations, such as ABC or The Washington Post, may utilize a live blog to keep the audience apprised of the facts of the event while a nontraditional news organization, such as Politico or Daily Kos, may focus more on real-time analysis of those facts. —Jeremy Saks, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

For a more nontraditional layout, zones are a great option in your living room. —Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026

The show combines nontraditional percussion, marshmallows, paint splashes, plumbing, black lights and streaming streamers. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 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