conventional

American  

[kuhn-ven-shuh-nl] / kənˈvɛn ʃə 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.

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conventional British  

/ 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

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noun

1. bridge another word for convention

Related Words

See formal ¹.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of conventional

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

Example Sentences

"The security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and the local security architecture are currently doing what they should do," he told the BBC.

From BBC

He ruled out the likelihood of the symptoms being caused by more conventional crowd control measures, such as CS gas, which was also being deployed by Georgia's riot police last year.

From BBC

It’s a notable constrast with his immediate predecessor’s far more conventional behavior.

From Los Angeles Times

Dubbed Peru's first poor president, Castillo, a former trade unionist and rural schoolteacher, won power in 2021 on a wave of frustration with conventional politics.

From BBC

Berlin, which aims to have the strongest conventional army in Europe, is open to making the system mandatory if recruitment targets aren’t met.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• current
• ordinary
• regular
• traditional
• typical