non-Indian

noun

non-In·​di·​an ˌnän-ˈin-dē-ən 

1

: a person who is not an Indigenous American

… commodities that Ojibwe sold or traded with non-Indians.

—Chantal Norrgard

2

: a person who is not a native or inhabitant of India

They argue that it is not possible for non-Indians to study India …

—Wendy Doniger

non-Indian adjective

… efforts to revitalize Pueblo textile arts with a view to … producing articles that would appeal to the non-Indian market.

—Kate P. Kent

In my new novel … I have major non-Indian characters, Americans as it happens, and that is bound to influence the way the book is perceived both in the United States and in India.

—Shashi Tharoor

Examples of non-Indian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Battles in and out of court There are now dozens of cases involving tribes, non-Indian casinos and dozens of states – and most experts believe the Supreme Court will ultimately decide the legality of sports prediction markets. — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

In its place is Sanwits, the group’s latest, a sandwich shop overseen by Eric Valdez, who was the chef de cuisine of Dhamaka before becoming the chef-partner of the Filipino restaurant Naks, the group’s other non-Indian outpost. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

Raghunathan notices Mylapore doesn’t cater to non-Indian preferences, either. — Kalpana Mohan, Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2026

Inevitably, this led to outsiders—verifiably non-Indian folks—trying to claim Indian identity. — David Treuer, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for non-Indian

• indian
• amerindian