Nontechnical

Nontechnical is an adjective describing information, language, or contexts that do not require specialized technical knowledge. It characterizes explanations and materials intended to be understood by a broad audience, including laypersons, students, or decision-makers who are not experts in a given field.

In writing and communication, nontechnical content avoids jargon, acronyms, and domain-specific terms unless definitions are provided. It typically relies on plain language, simple sentence structures, and concrete examples. The term is commonly used in science communication, policy, education, journalism, and user-facing documentation.

Practically, producing nontechnical material involves strategies such as defining unfamiliar terms, using analogies, presenting core ideas before details, and supplementing text with visuals. A nontechnical summary of a report conveys main findings without technical procedures or data.

Benefits include wider accessibility and better comprehension for nonexpert audiences, supporting public engagement and informed decision-making. Limitations include the risk of oversimplification, loss of precision, and possible misinterpretation if important caveats are omitted.

Related concepts include lay language, plain language, and accessible language, as well as nontechnical audiences. The spelling of nontechnical can be unhyphenated or hyphenated (non-technical) in formal writing, with preference varying by style guide.