Principle types of non-Newtonian fluid include:

{|align=left border=1 |Type of fluid |Behaviour |Characteristics |Examples |- |rowspan=4|Plastic solids |Perfectly plastic |Strain does not result in opposing stress |Ductile metals |- |Bingham plastic |Linear relationship between shear stress and rate of strain once threshold shear stress exceeded |rowspan=3|Mud, some colloids |- |Yield pseudo-plastic |Psuedo-plastic above some threshold shear stress |- |Yield dilatent |Dilatent above some threshold shear stress |- |rowspan=2|Power-law fluids |Pseudo-plastic |Apparent viscosity reducing with rate of shear |Some colloids, clay, milk, gelatine, blood and liquid cement |- |Dilatent |Apparent viscosity increasing with rate of shear |Concentrated solution of sugar in water, suspensions of rice starch |- |rowspan=4|Viscoelastic - having both viscous and elastic properties |Maxwell material |"Series" linear combination of elastic and viscous effects |metals, composite materials |- |Oldroyd-B fluid |Linear combination of Maxwell and Newtonian behaviour |rowspan=3|Bitumen, dough and nylon |- |Kelvin material |"Parallel" linear combination of elastic and viscous effects |- |Anelastic |Material returns to a well-defined "rest shape" |- |rowspan=2|Time-dependent viscosity |Rheopectic |Apparent viscosity increases with duration of stress |Some lubricants |- |Thixotropic |Apparent viscosity decreases with duration of stress |Non-drip paints and tomato ketchup |- |colspan=2|Generalised Newtonian fluids |Stress depends on normal and shear strain rates |Blood |}