nonalignment

American  

[non-uh-lahyn-muhnt] / ˌnɒn əˈlaɪn mənt /

noun

1. the state or condition of being nonaligned.

2. a national policy repudiating political or military alliance with a world power, as the U.S. or the People's Republic of China.

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Etymology

Origin of nonalignment

First recorded in 1930–35; non- + alignment

Example Sentences

Unlike Cold War-era nonalignment, this approach isn’t about neutrality.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

Li said that the countries’ relations “outperform the military-political unions of the Cold War era. They rest on the principles of nonalignment, and are very stable.”

From Washington Times • Apr. 16, 2023

“The era of military nonalignment in our history has come to an end,” Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said at the ceremony, before the Finnish national anthem was played.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2023

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, Finland joined the European Union and developed a partnership with NATO, dropping neutrality for military nonalignment and a close security relationship with Sweden.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023

Finland — until 1917 a grand duchy in that empire — and Sweden abandoned longtime national policies of military nonalignment.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2022