non-Western

adjective

non-West·​ern ˌnän-ˈwe-stərn How to pronounce non-Western (audio)
1
: not being part of the western tradition
non-Western countries
2
: of or relating to non-Western societies
non-Western values

Examples of non-Western in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web However, with sanctions and other forms of pressure, Venezuela would not be hedging positions, but being left at the mercy of non-Western actors. Elias Ferrer, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Hand has achieved what many non-Western restaurants still find difficult to do in America: win wide appeal while focusing on a narrow audience — in this case, young Koreans and Korean Americans keen for a taste of the energy pouring out of South Korea. Priya Krishna, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024 South Africa’s charge against Israel also reflects a challenge to the U.S.-led world order, which South Africa, as well as a growing number of other countries, views as tilted away from African and non-Western interests. Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner, 15 Jan. 2024 Rauch promised to expand its repertoire to include non-Western classics and to diversify both the company and the staff. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2024 According to a European Council on Foreign Relations poll of major non-Western countries conducted in December 2022 and January 2023, substantial majorities across the world do not think that their countries will ever have to choose between China and the United States. Mark Leonard, Foreign Affairs, 8 Jan. 2024 From the beginning, the program’s targeting of communities largely based on the presence of non-Western immigrants or their descendants has attracted widespread criticism. Emma Bubola, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2023 Lou Harrison, an Oregonian gone south, was absorbing non-Western traditions. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023 Iran, the main foreign power backing Hamas, recently joined the BRICS bloc of non-Western nations, within which China is a key player. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'non-Western.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of non-Western was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near non-Western

Cite this Entry

“Non-Western.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-Western. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

non-Western

adjective
non-West·​ern
(ˈ)nän-ˈwes-tərn
1
: not being part of the western tradition
non-Western countries
2
: of or relating to non-Western societies
non-Western values
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!