Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "nonpolar" ita ce tana nufin molecule ko haɗin sinadarai wanda ba shi da rabuwar cajin lantarki, ko polarity. Kwayoyin da ba na polar yawanci hydrophobic ne, ma'ana ba sa narke a cikin ruwa, kuma galibi suna kunshe da atom masu kama da lantarki ko sifofin kwayoyin halitta. Misalan ƙwayoyin ƙwayoyin da ba na polar sun haɗa da hydrocarbons kamar methane da ethane, da kuma wasu nau'ikan iskar gas kamar nitrogen da oxygen.