non-governmental

IPA/ˌnɒn ˌɡʌvnˈmentl/
KK[nɑnɡˌʌvɚnmˈɛntəl]IPA/ˌnɑːn ˌɡʌvərnˈmentl/

non-governmental — adjective

1. describing a group or activity that operates outside the state, with its own dec

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a group or activity that operates outside the state, with its own decisions and funding instead of being run by public authorities.

Example

A non-governmental rescue team brought blankets and clean water after the flood.

collocation: non-governmental rescue team / aid group

The clinic is non-governmental, so it depends on small monthly donations.

predicative use: be + non-governmental

Common collocations
  • non-governmental organization
  • non-governmental group
  • non-governmental agency
  • non-governmental body
  • non-governmental aid work
Synonyms
  • independent

    stresses freedom in decision-making; a body can be independent without being fully outside government structures

  • private

    often contrasts with public ownership, and may suggest a company rather than a social or rights group

  • charitable

    narrower; focuses on helping people in need, not on the relation to the state itself

Antonyms
  • governmental

    belonging to or run by the government

  • state-run

    emphasises direct control by public authorities

Grammar Patterns

non-governmental + noun

be + non-governmental

Usage Note

Most often used before nouns such as organization, group, body, and agency. It is especially common in writing about aid, health, education, elections, and human rights.

Common Mistakes

She works for a private aid organization in Nepal.
She works for a non-governmental aid organization in Nepal.
'private' can mean business-owned, while 'non-governmental' specifically means outside the state.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Non-governmental, private, independent, and charitable can all describe organizations outside the state, but they are not the same. Non-governmental gives the clearest contrast with government control and is common in policy, aid, and human-rights contexts. Private usually contrasts with public ownership and often suggests a business, school, or hospital run by an individual or company. Independent stresses freedom in decision-making; an independent newspaper may still receive some public money. Charitable is narrower, pointing to work that helps people in need. A non-governmental election observer group watches voting without being part of the state. A private hospital treats patients for payment, while a charitable clinic may offer free care.

non-governmental ↗private ↗independent ↗charitable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • non-governmental organization
  • non-governmental group
  • non-governmental agency
  • non-governmental body
  • non-governmental sector

Phrases

  • non-governmental organization
  • non-governmental aid group
  • non-governmental research body

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

This adjective is built from the negative prefix 'non-' plus 'governmental'. Governmental comes from 'government', a word that reached English through Old French from Latin roots meaning 'to steer or direct'. Non-governmental developed as a way to describe groups and activities that stand outside the state, especially in law, aid, health, and human-rights work. It became especially common in the phrase 'non-governmental organization', often shortened to NGO.