non-U

American

[non-yoo] / nɒnˈyu /

adjective

not characteristic of or appropriate to the upper class, especially of Great Britain.

certain words and phrases that are considered absolutely non-U.

non-U British

/ nɒnˈjuː /

adjective

(esp of language) not characteristic of or used by the upper class Compare U 1

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of non-U

non- + U (adj.)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Canadian data also indicate the country logged its narrowest goods-trade surplus with the U.S. in five years in 2025, with producers shifting exports to non-U.

From The Wall Street Journal

Pimco has made changes to its portfolio, including buying more debt from non-U.

From The Wall Street Journal

But a stand-alone index of U.S. stocks has underperformed a version that includes only non-U.

From Barron's

The drop also reflects the lack of non-U.S.-born students, or “newcomers,” entering the nation’s public school systems.

From Los Angeles Times

“We had expected FLNC’s gearing to non-U. S. markets to decline as a result of competitive pressure from Chinese firms,” the Guggenheim team explained.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023