non-Western

adjective

non-West·​ern ˌnän-ˈwe-stərn How to pronounce non-Western (audio)
1
: not being part of the western tradition
non-Western countries
2
: of or relating to non-Western societies
non-Western values

Examples of non-Western in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
If history serves as any guide, none of these six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain—is likely to do more than merely supplement their military arsenals with armaments from non-Western countries. Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025 In the early 1960s, U Thant, a practicing Buddhist from a remote town in Burma, became the first non-Western secretary-general of the United Nations. Michele Kelemen, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025 Putin arrived in China on Sunday to attend a summit organized by Beijing that convened more than 20 leaders of non-Western countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reuters, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 After Moscow launched a war against Ukraine, broke with the West, and pivoted toward non-Western audiences, Putin firmly embraced civilizational discourse, which is now official policy and a mainstay of presidential speeches and even schoolbooks. Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for non-Western

Word History

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of non-Western was in 1902

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Cite this Entry

“Non-Western.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/non-Western. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

non-Western

adjective
non-West·​ern
(ˈ)nän-ˈwes-tərn
1
: not being part of the western tradition
non-Western countries
2
: of or relating to non-Western societies
non-Western values
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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