non-Western
Not from Occident
Non-Western describes cultures, countries, or traditions outside the historical sphere of European influence—typically referring to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and indigenous peoples of the Americas and Pacific.
The term appears frequently in academic contexts: non-Western philosophy, non-Western art.
It defines by exclusion rather than shared characteristics, which some consider problematic since it centers Europe as the default.
After foreign rule ends
- decolonizationEnding imperial control
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- orientalismInterest in Eastern aesthetics
othering · subaltern · anticolonial · marginalized · underrepresented · alternative · counternarrative · pluralistic
Originating in a region
- tribalOf a clan
- ancestralOf one's forebears
- customaryDone by convention
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
folklore · mythology · rituals · ceremonies · oral tradition · shamanic · totems · kinship
Therapeutic needle insertion
- ayurvedaIndian traditional medicine system
- traditional Chinese medicineAncient Eastern healing system
- herbalismPlant-based healing tradition
- qigongChinese health cultivation art
reiki · shiatsu · cupping · naturopathy · moxibustion · homeopathy · reflexology · pranayama
postcolonial
After foreign rule ends
- decolonizationEnding imperial control
- indigenousOriginating in a region
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
orientalism · othering · subaltern · anticolonial · marginalized · underrepresented · alternative · counternarrative · pluralistic · multicultural
indigenous
Originating in a region
heritage · folklore · mythology · rituals · ceremonies · oral tradition · shamanic · totems · kinship · clan
acupuncture
Therapeutic needle insertion
- ayurvedaIndian traditional medicine system
- traditional Chinese medicineAncient Eastern healing system
- herbalismPlant-based healing tradition
qigong · reiki · shiatsu · cupping · naturopathy · moxibustion · homeopathy · reflexology · pranayama · meditation
zen
Meditative calm
karma · yoga · vedanta · animism · ahimsa · yin-yang · nirvana · samsara · enlightenment · mindfulness
bamboo
Tall woody grass
pagoda · mandala · henna · kente · sitar · tatami · origami · calligraphy · batik · lacquerware
non-WesternWestern
Of Euro-American civilization
European · Euro-American · Eurocentric · Anglo-American · Judeo-Christian
non-WesternWestern
Of Euro-American civilization
First World · developed · industrialized · core · metropolitan
non, Western, west, westward, westerly, westerner, westerners, westernmost, westernize