non-alignment

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   A policy of not joining any major power bloc or military alliance, especially during the Cold War.

   Grammar: Uncountable: no plural form; used with 'the' or without an article.

   Patterns

   • policy of non-alignment
   • non-alignment with something

   India pursued a policy of non-alignment during the Cold War, refusing to join either NATO or the Warsaw Pact.

   The conference promoted non-alignment as a way for smaller nations to maintain independence.

   Her speech emphasized non-alignment as a principle of foreign policy.

2. 2noununcountable

   The state of not being aligned or in agreement with a particular group, party, or position.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'of' to specify the group.

   Patterns

   • non-alignment with something
   • non-alignment of something

   The non-alignment of the two departments led to conflicting policies.

   His non-alignment with any political party made him a neutral mediator.

   The report criticized the non-alignment of the company's goals with its stated values.

Common combinations

policy of non-alignment

The country's policy of non-alignment allowed it to trade with both sides.

movement of non-alignment

The Non-Aligned Movement was founded on the principle of non-alignment.

strict non-alignment

Switzerland is known for its strict non-alignment in military conflicts.

non-alignment with

The senator's non-alignment with the party line cost him support.

Synonyms and how they differ

neutrality

Neutrality often refers to not taking sides in a conflict, while non-alignment specifically means not joining a formal alliance.

independence

Independence is a broader term for freedom from control; non-alignment is a specific political stance.

Opposites

Word family

non-aligned adjective

Not aligned with any major power bloc.

align verb

To place in a straight line or bring into agreement.

alignment noun

Arrangement in a line or agreement with a group.

Commonly confused: non-alignment or nonalignment?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “non-alignment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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