nontraditional
Breaking from custom
Nontraditional describes something that departs from established customs or conventions.
A nontraditional student is older than typical college age.
A nontraditional family might have same-sex parents or multiple generations under one roof.
Nontraditional casting places actors in roles outside their expected type.
The word simply marks difference from the norm without necessarily implying better or worse.
Another available choice
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- offbeatPleasantly strange or unusual
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
eccentric · idiosyncratic · atypical · irregular · unusual · anomalous · peculiar · singular
Introducing radical new ideas
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- disruptiveTending to interrupt order
inventive · novel · original · trailblazing · revolutionary · transformative · experimental · creative
Rejection of mainstream values
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- rebelAuthority defier
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
dissenter · nonconformist · freethinker · contrarian · anti-establishment · subversive · renegade · outsider
Of the present age
- currentDirected flow of charge
- updatedMade current or modern
- newfangledModern in unwelcome way
- redesignedCreated anew differently
revamped · modernized · streamlined · digital · progressive · forward-looking · emerging · next-generation
Innovative cultural pioneers
- experimentalTesting new methods
- abstractCondensed version of text
- conceptualOf or relating to ideas
- installationProcess of putting in
mixed-media · postmodern · deconstructionist · surrealist · expressionist · improvisational · freeform · genre-bending
Joining into unity
- hybridThing of mixed parentage
- cross-culturalInvolving multiple societies
- blendedMixed into uniformity
- mixedBlended from varied elements
multicultural · interdisciplinary · syncretic · cosmopolitan · borrowing · mashup · remix · boundary-crossing
alternative
Another available choice
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- nonconformistRejects prevailing social standards
- offbeatPleasantly strange or unusual
quirky · eccentric · idiosyncratic · atypical · irregular · unusual · anomalous · peculiar · singular · unique
groundbreaking
Introducing radical new ideas
- pioneeringFirst to explore territory
- cutting-edgeAt innovation's forefront
- breakthroughSudden important advance
disruptive · inventive · novel · original · trailblazing · revolutionary · transformative · experimental · creative · ingenious
counterculture
Rejection of mainstream values
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
- rebelAuthority defier
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
maverick · dissenter · nonconformist · freethinker · contrarian · anti-establishment · subversive · renegade · outsider · fringe
contemporary
Of the present age
- currentDirected flow of charge
- updatedMade current or modern
- newfangledModern in unwelcome way
redesigned · revamped · modernized · streamlined · digital · progressive · forward-looking · emerging · next-generation · evolved
avant-garde
Innovative cultural pioneers
- experimentalTesting new methods
- abstractCondensed version of text
- conceptualOf or relating to ideas
installation · mixed-media · postmodern · deconstructionist · surrealist · expressionist · improvisational · freeform · genre-bending · crossover
fusion
Joining into unity
- hybridThing of mixed parentage
- cross-culturalInvolving multiple societies
- blendedMixed into uniformity
mixed · multicultural · interdisciplinary · syncretic · cosmopolitan · borrowing · mashup · remix · boundary-crossing
- unconventionalunconventional, nonconformist, unorthodox, offbeat, atypical
- literary outsiderscounterculture, peripheral
nontraditionaltraditional
Following long-held customs
conventional · orthodox · customary · established · standard
nontraditionalconservative
Cautious about altering customs
hidebound · rigid · reactionary · strict · stodgy
- nontraditional familiesNon-nuclear domestic arrangements
- nontraditional studentAtypical college enrollee