nonwestern
|non-west-ern|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˈwɛstərn/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˈwɛstən/
not western / outside the Western world
Etymology
'nonwestern' originates from English, specifically the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non') combined with the adjective 'Western' (from Old English 'west' + suffix '-ern'), where 'non-' meant 'not' and 'west' referred to the western direction or the 'West'.
'Western' developed from Old English words such as 'west' and Middle English forms like 'westerne', and the modern compound 'nonwestern' formed by adding the productive negative prefix 'non-' to 'Western' in modern English.
Initially, components meant 'not' and 'of the west' separately; over time the compound has been used specifically to describe peoples, cultures, regions, or ideas 'outside or not part of the Western world.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not relating to or characteristic of the Western world (Europe, the Americas, and cultures influenced by them); pertaining to cultures, regions, or perspectives outside the Western sphere.
Many nonwestern societies have different approaches to family structure and community obligations.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/11 17:35