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

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."

Example Sentences

Against the conventional wisdom that civil rights were fundamentally different from political rights, Black Americans insisted that both were vital to make real America’s most cherished constitutional ideals.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

If it wasn’t already clear that Odenkirk isn’t your conventional action star, his new film “Normal” should seal the deal.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

This is especially true for the growth-stage firms across Europe, which are too mature for early-stage venture capital but too small and too risky for conventional bank lending.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

It’s true we have degraded Iran’s missile and wider conventional capabilities, but it’s unclear by how much or how much it matters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

He begins his great work by running through a set of conventional arguments drawn from Sacrobosco: the heavens are spherical; the earth is spherical; the waters are spherical.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• current
• ordinary
• regular
• traditional
• typical