nontraditional

adjective

non·​tra·​di·​tion·​al ˌnän-trə-ˈdish-nəl How to pronounce nontraditional (audio)
-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

Examples of nontraditional in a Sentence

a nontraditional couple who are planning a very unconventional wedding
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The team has carved out a niche by offering empathetic and straightforward advice tailored to nontraditional earners. William Jones, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025 In a show of support for the nontraditional schedule, 62% of voters granted the school board that power. The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Nov. 2025 Kentucky districts must provide students with 180 days of instruction, of which 10 can be spent in nontraditional instruction. Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 5 Nov. 2025 Weil, a Harvard Medical School graduate who completed his internship before deciding to explore nontraditional medical practices, told me that his views on inflammation are simple and have not changed over the decades. Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nontraditional

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nontraditional was in 1915

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Cite this Entry

“Nontraditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontraditional. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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