nonstandard

[ non-stan-derd ]

adjective

1. not standard.
2. not conforming in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, etc., to the usage characteristic of and considered acceptable by most educated native speakers; lacking in social prestige or regionally or socially limited in use: Compare standard ( def 27 ).

   a nonstandard dialect; nonstandard English.

3. Mathematics. of or relating to a generalized system of numbers that includes the real numbers but also includes infinite and infinitesimal numbers:

   nonstandard analysis.

nonstandard

/ nɒnˈstændəd /

adjective

1. denoting or characterized by idiom, vocabulary, etc, that is not regarded as correct and acceptable by educated native speakers of a language; not standard
2. deviating from a given standard

Usage Note

A term labeled Nonstandard in this dictionary is one that is thought to be characteristic of the speech of persons with little education—a term that is often regarded as a marker of low social status.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonstandard¹

First recorded in 1920–25; non- + standard

Example Sentences

The models were unable to read the characters within the tags on the electric poles 90% of the time because it didn’t identify the nonstandard font and varying background colors used in the tags.

From TechCrunch

Alternatively, the cancer could have spread during the nine months that Jobs was experimenting with nonstandard therapies.

From The Daily Beast

Where the hell did my subway pass get off on finking me out for having a "nonstandard ride pattern?"

From Project Gutenberg

Oh, you mean riding public transit in a nonstandard way isn't a crime?

From Project Gutenberg

Several instances of possibly nonstandard spelling have been noted with ‘sic’, which have been retained.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abnormal