1. having no electrical poles or regions of positive and negative charge
Usage: chemistry; physics
2. describing a molecule or substance that does not dissolve well in water due to lack of charge separation
Usage: chemistry

Examples

• Oil is a nonpolar substance that doesn’t mix with water.
• Nonpolar molecules tend to dissolve in nonpolar solvents.
• The nonpolar covalent bond shares electrons equally between atoms.
• Methane is an example of a nonpolar compound.
• Nonpolar substances are often used as cleaning solvents for greasy materials.
• The cell membrane contains both polar and nonpolar regions.