unconventional
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unconventional
First recorded in 1830–40; un- 1 + conventional
Explanation
To be unconventional is to act, dress, speak, or otherwise exist out of the bounds of cultural norms. If you eat cheeseburgers for breakfast, that's somewhat unconventional. Anything that's nonconformist or out of the ordinary can be described as unconventional. Every culture has its own conventions — or norms — and what may be unconventional in one region might be typical in another. The perception of what's unconventional is determined by context.
Vocabulary lists containing unconventional
Power Prefix: un-
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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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.
But after an unconventional production, an unencrypted hard drive containing the film was stolen from a Netflix office, prompting a $105 million lawsuit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Both were leading unconventional, isolated lives and relied on faith for solace, even joy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
In his first interview on the job, Feinberg—the Pentagon’s No. 2 official—defended his unconventional approach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
BCS theory successfully explained known superconducting behavior until scientists discovered "unconventional" superconductors in 1986.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Taylor came from a wealthy family and had both the means and freedom from academic constraints to pursue unconventional lines of inquiry.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
