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

There were no transgender or nonbinary people producing top films in any year analyzed. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Mar. 2025

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of seven plaintiffs, argues that the policy discriminates against transgender and nonbinary Americans, preventing them from obtaining passports that reflect their identities. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 25 Mar. 2025

In the meantime, Meriwether and Rosenstock continued to work with a writers’ room comprised of five women, one nonbinary person, and one man and wrote the next few episodes. —Rachel Handler, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2025

The big picture: Finland, Denmark and Germany urged cautionary planning for trans and nonbinary travelers seeking to enter the U.S. following an executive order requiring the federal government to recognize only two sexes: male and female. —Avery Lotz, Axios, 23 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1863, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonbinary

• refinery
• binary
• finery
• winery

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