conventional

[kuh n-ven-shuh-nl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conventional ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

conforming or adhering to accepted standards, as of conduct or taste: conventional behavior.

pertaining to convention or general agreement; established by general consent or accepted usage; arbitrarily determined: conventional symbols.

ordinary rather than different or original: conventional phraseology.

not using, making, or involving nuclear weapons or energy; nonnuclear: conventional warfare.

Art.

in accordance with an accepted manner, model, or tradition.
(of figurative art) represented in a generalized or simplified manner.

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

Law. resting on consent, express or implied.

of or relating to a convention or assembly.

Origin of conventional

From the Late Latin word conventiōnālis, dating back to 1575–85. See convention, -al¹

Related formscon·ven·tion·al·ist, nouncon·ven·tion·al·ly, adverban·ti·con·ven·tion·al, adjectivean·ti·con·ven·tion·al·ly, adverban·ti·con·ven·tion·al·ist, noun, adjectivenon·con·ven·tion·al, adjectivenon·con·ven·tion·al·ly, adverbqua·si-con·ven·tion·al, adjectivequa·si-con·ven·tion·al·ly, adverbsem·i·con·ven·tion·al, adjectivesem·i·con·ven·tion·al·ly, adverb

Synonyms for conventional

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR conventional ON THESAURUS.COM

1. See formal¹. 2. usual, habitual, customary.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for conventionally

regularly, properly, correctly, formally, routinely, systematically, commonly, faithfully, repeatedly, usually, frequently, automatically, generally, consistently, habitually, normally, traditionally, publicly, mostly, largely

Examples from the Web for conventionally

Contemporary Examples of conventionally

The women Peterson photographed were offbeat, eccentric, irreverent, and not conventionally pretty.
Gosta Peterson's Bohemian Rhapsody: Unpacking a Photographer's '60s Secrets
Lizzie Crocker
September 10, 2014
Sitting at the desk was a man in his mid- to late 40s, balding, conventionally dressed in slacks and an Oxford shirt, no tie.
Writing a Novel: Even Making It Up Requires Research
Ridley Pearson
July 16, 2014
And because Dunham is not a size zero or ‘conventionally’ beautiful, Girls has been hailed as brave and feminist.
Why ‘Girls’ Is Bad for Women
Emma Woolf
March 31, 2014
Montgomery is part of a small but growing group of conventionally trained physicians disillusioned with traditional medical care.
Doctors Should Start Advocating Dietary Options to Treat Heart Disease
Daniela Drake
July 11, 2013
The Immigrant is far from a conventionally naturalistic historical film.
Cannes Diary: James Gray’s ‘The Immigrant,’ Starring Marion Cotillard, Shines
Richard Porton
May 25, 2013

Historical Examples of conventionally

Anita said conventionally, “It has been pleasant to talk with you, Mr. Haljan.”
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930
Various
I don't ask to be conventionally happy, but I want you always.
Robert Orange
John Oliver Hobbes
I am a gregarious person but not a conventionally social one.
The Fifth Ace
Douglas Grant
But no, she phrases it conventionally: "Will you come and receive with me?"
Social Life
Maud C. Cooke
You dont mean that its the conventionally honourable thing to do?
Adrienne Toner
Anne Douglas Sedgwick

British Dictionary definitions for conventionally

conventional

adjective

following the accepted customs and proprieties, esp in a way that lacks originalityconventional habits

established by accepted usage or general agreement

of or relating to a convention or assembly

law based upon the agreement or consent of parties

arts represented in a simplified or generalized way; conventionalized

(of weapons, warfare, etc) not nuclear

noun

bridge another word for convention (def. 7)

Derived Formsconventionally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for conventionally

conventional

adj.

late 15c., "of the nature of an agreement," from Late Latin conventionalis "pertaining to convention or agreement," from Latin conventionem (see convention). Meaning "of the nature of a convention" is from 1812, now rare; "established by social convention" is from 1761; that of "following tradition" is from 1831; that of "non-nuclear" is from 1955. Realted: Conventionality; conventionally.