conventional

[kuhn-ven-shuh-nl]

adjective

1. conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste.

   conventional behavior.

2. pertaining to convention or general agreement; established by general consent or accepted usage; arbitrarily determined.

   conventional symbols.

   Synonyms: customary, habitual, usual

3. ordinary rather than different or original.

   conventional phraseology.

4. not using, making, or involving nuclear weapons or energy; nonnuclear.

   conventional warfare.

5. Art.

   1. in accordance with an accepted manner, model, or tradition.

   2. (of figurative art) represented in a generalized or simplified manner.

6. of or relating to a convention, agreement, or compact.

7. Law.,  resting on consent, express or implied.

8. of or relating to a convention or assembly.

conventional

/ kənˈvɛnʃənəl /

adjective

1. following the accepted customs and proprieties, esp in a way that lacks originality

   conventional habits

2. established by accepted usage or general agreement

3. of or relating to a convention or assembly

4. law based upon the agreement or consent of parties

5. arts represented in a simplified or generalized way; conventionalized

6. (of weapons, warfare, etc) not nuclear

noun

1. bridge another word for convention

Other Word Forms

• conventionalist noun
• conventionally adverb
• anticonventional adjective
• anticonventionally adverb
• anticonventionalist noun
• nonconventional adjective
• nonconventionally adverb
• quasi-conventional adjective
• quasi-conventionally adverb
• semiconventional adjective
• semiconventionally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of conventional¹

From the Late Latin word conventiōnālis, dating back to 1575–85. See convention, -al ¹

Synonym Study

See formal ¹.

Example Sentences

“The conventional wisdom is that as yields rise in Japan, the Japanese are more likely to keep their savings at home rather than export it,” Chandler said.

Read more on MarketWatch

The preferred also have tax benefits for their holders due to Strategy’s lack of conventional profits.

Read more on Barron's

Cook said she has always considered that offshore assets in the U.S. side of the Gulf could make sense someday, since the majority of the company’s production base lies in conventional offshore assets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Drawing on nearly 90,000 assessments, the largest data set of its kind, the results challenge the conventional wisdom about the primacy of family in our culture, with implications both personal and professional.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Renewable-fuel tank rates are typically 30%-50% higher than conventional tankage, which could support long-term recurring income, she says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• current 
• ordinary 
• regular 
• traditional 
• typical