nonbinary

adjective

non·​bi·​na·​ry ˌnän-ˈbī-nə-rē 

-ˌner-ē,

-ˌne-rē

: not binary: such as

a

: not restricted to two things or parts

nonbinary voting

b

: of, relating to, or being a system of numbers that does not use 2 as its base

nonbinary math

c

or non-binary : relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female

non-binary people

… an effort to create more equality for nonbinary and transgender students across campus.

—Phoebe Roe

… many people with nonbinary genders use "they" and "their" pronouns …

—Lucy Brisbane

… the normalization of sharing pronouns emphasizes the fact that everyone has preferred pronouns, not just trans and non-binary folks.

—Christina M. Xiao

Examples of nonbinary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sade, Eileen Myles, Hunter Schafer, Clairo, Sam Smith and many others, celebrating trans and nonbinary music, and bringing awareness and support to transgender rights. —Candace Hansen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

Though the female roles in Shakespeare’s plays were played by men in his day, Mey’s teachers had a hard time accepting a femme-presenting nonbinary person in the role of the melancholy Dane. —Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2024

For transgender and nonbinary Odessa residents who have lived under this rule, the recent decision from House Speaker Mike Johnson to reserve congressional bathrooms based on one's gender assigned at birth comes as no surprise. —Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 23 Nov. 2024

Research shows this type of health care is significantly associated with better mental health outcomes among transgender and nonbinary young people, a group that faces disproportionate suicide risk compared to their peers. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

nonbinary

adjective

non·​bi·​na·​ry -ˈbī-nə-rē 

-ˌner-ē

variants or non-binary

: relating to or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that is neither entirely male nor entirely female

Nonbinary people—individuals who identify as both male or female, neither male nor female, … and/or reject all gender identities—may experience unique mental health stressors due to cultural invisibility and ignorance surrounding nonbinary identities.

—Abbie E. Goldberg et al., The Counseling Psychologist

… some non-binary people who were assigned female at birth had chest surgery and/or took hormones. Others did not engage in these methods, but modified some visible markers of gender in other ways …

—Christina Richards et al., International Review of Psychiatry