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
During his first five-year contract, Bennett, his staff and the board winnowed down the company’s budget to better match annual expenses and ticket sales, while also creating the Detour series of smaller, nontraditional opera works to expand the company’s audience.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
From start to finish, our nontraditional wedding showed me that the right relationship, much like the correct condiment, makes life’s chaotically sandwiched moments go down a little easier.
—Heather Schroering, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
Creating pathways to certification One recent strategy to address the teacher shortage in Michigan has been to create nontraditional routes to teacher certification.
—Gail Richmond, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2025
These updates provide greater clarity and planning assurance for families, especially those saving for children who may take nontraditional education or career routes.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
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Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
From start to finish, our nontraditional wedding showed me that the right relationship, much like the correct condiment, makes life’s chaotically sandwiched moments go down a little easier.
—Heather Schroering, Bon Appetit Magazine, 6 Aug. 2025
Creating pathways to certification One recent strategy to address the teacher shortage in Michigan has been to create nontraditional routes to teacher certification.
—Gail Richmond, The Conversation, 4 Aug. 2025
These updates provide greater clarity and planning assurance for families, especially those saving for children who may take nontraditional education or career routes.
—Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
Cite this Entry
“Nontraditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontraditional. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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