unconventional
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Fleming reads unconventional in every way, from his manic and meta delivery to his glam-rock crushed-velvet bodysuit to a rubbery tendency to leap around the stage, no limb left behind.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
The solution to Henry Ford’s problems was unconventional, even radical.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Don’t miss: CoreWeave gets a $7 billion win from an unconventional customer.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
In addition to a tendency towards the unconventional, Musk also has, literally, the deepest pockets on earth.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
I had never been to Chicago, but I knew one or two boys who went to Chicago University, and it seemed the sort of place where unconventional, mixed-up people would come from.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
