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
Noel Almario, family health care consultant Almario describes herself as a nontraditional political candidate with a background as a birth doula who works as a private consultant helping families navigate the healthcare system.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Teenagers are more inclined than their elders to get news from nontraditional sources such as social media and influencers, heralding a generational shift in how people seek out information.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Jeanie Buss, governor of the Lakers, has donated the maximum allowable amount to Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign, offering a high-profile boost to a nontraditional candidate in the race to lead Los Angeles.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
For a college basketball TV landscape dominated by ESPN, Fox Sports and CBS, the deal opens new pathways for nontraditional networks and streaming services to carve out premium inventory with teams eager to drive new revenue streams to cover increasing NIL costs.
—Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
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Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Teenagers are more inclined than their elders to get news from nontraditional sources such as social media and influencers, heralding a generational shift in how people seek out information.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Jeanie Buss, governor of the Lakers, has donated the maximum allowable amount to Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign, offering a high-profile boost to a nontraditional candidate in the race to lead Los Angeles.
—Teresa Liu, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
For a college basketball TV landscape dominated by ESPN, Fox Sports and CBS, the deal opens new pathways for nontraditional networks and streaming services to carve out premium inventory with teams eager to drive new revenue streams to cover increasing NIL costs.
—Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nontraditional
Cite this Entry
“Nontraditional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nontraditional. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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