conventional
Americanadjective
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conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste.
conventional behavior.
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pertaining to convention or general agreement; established by general consent or accepted usage; arbitrarily determined.
conventional symbols.
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ordinary rather than different or original.
conventional phraseology.
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not using, making, or involving nuclear weapons or energy; nonnuclear.
conventional warfare.
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Art.
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in accordance with an accepted manner, model, or tradition.
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(of figurative art) represented in a generalized or simplified manner.
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of or relating to a convention, agreement, or compact.
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Law. resting on consent, express or implied.
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of or relating to a convention or assembly.
adjective
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following the accepted customs and proprieties, esp in a way that lacks originality
conventional habits
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established by accepted usage or general agreement
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of or relating to a convention or assembly
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law based upon the agreement or consent of parties
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arts represented in a simplified or generalized way; conventionalized
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(of weapons, warfare, etc) not nuclear
noun
Related Words
See formal 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conventional
From the Late Latin word conventiōnālis, dating back to 1575–85. See convention, -al 1
Explanation
Conventional is an adjective for things that are normal, ordinary, and following the accepted way. Ho-hum. This word describes what is typical and ordinary and that which follows accepted standards of behavior or taste. This is a word that's current definition is still very similar to its Latin root, conventionalis, which is "pertaining to an agreement." One way this word is used is with respect to conventional weapons, as in those "not using, making, or involving nuclear weapons or energy; nonnuclear."
Vocabulary lists containing conventional
30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 2
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Whether it’s at your conventional supermarket, whether it’s at the big-box store, whether it’s dollar stores, Memorial Day is when you’re going to see products on sale,” Lembert said.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Their work shows that MOF glasses can be adjusted and engineered using methods similar to those long used for conventional glass.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Pleasanton, Calif.-based Workday’s stock, which is down about 40% this year, has been battered by investor fears that artificial intelligence chatbots and large language models will make conventional business software obsolete.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
In an axial flux motor, the electromagnetic field is parallel to the motor’s axis of rotation, instead of perpendicular in a conventional electric motor.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
If this sham was conventional hypocrisy, she had to concede that it had its uses.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
