unorthodox
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unorthodox
Explanation
Unorthodox describes something that goes against the usual ways of doing things. Instead of describing yourself as a terrible speller, you might instead proudly refer to your spelling as unorthodox. The adjective unorthodox originally referred to religion, specifically to a person or practice that went against the traditions of a particular belief. The Greek roots of unorthodox are orthos, or "right," and doxa, or "opinion." So someone whose beliefs are orthodox has "the right opinion," while an unorthodox person does not. The definition has evolved so that unorthodox's meaning is closer to "unusual" or "innovative" than just plain "wrong."
Vocabulary lists containing unorthodox
Power Prefix: un-
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Brave New World
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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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.
Drake still has an impeccable ear for production and an incredible talent for hook-writing, much in the same way that Trump knows how to make rambling sentences sing via his unorthodox delivery.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
It feels fitting that an underdog who uses what some consider unorthodox methods was last man standing at a slugfest of a US PGA Championship held in Rocky Balboa's backyard.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The FBI director was also on the Hill this week for a budget hearing and, in an unorthodox strategy for a setting where you’re asking Congress for money, was eager to fight.
From Slate • May 16, 2026
Schools have also begun admitting students off wait lists before May 1, a previously unorthodox move, counselors said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
“This proposition is unorthodox, and against my better judgment, but the idea of a massage intrigues me, and I am rarely intrigued. However, thirty minutes is too short. Say...two hours.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
