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
Synonym Usage
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.
The avalanche itself moved too fast for conventional warnings to help those closest to it, the scientists say.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
"We found stark separation between the glycoconjugates of cells cultured in conventional medium versus those cultured in a medium that better reflects the nutrient composition of the human body," said Tharp.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
She has a conventional résumé as a U.N. ambassador and former foreign minister with experience in U.N. food work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Rather than simply cultivating conventional Spirulina, researchers are changing the conditions under which it grows to encourage production of specific compounds that are useful to humans.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Now Jesses supervisors wanted him to appear absorbed in something conventional, even when he had nothing to do.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
