unorthodox

American  

[uhn-awr-thuh-doks] / ʌnˈɔr θəˌdɒks /

adjective

1. not conforming to rules, traditions, or modes of conduct, as of a doctrine, religion, or philosophy; not orthodox.

   an unorthodox ideology.

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unorthodox British  

/ ʌnˈɔːθəˌdɒks /

adjective

1. not conventional in belief, behaviour, custom, etc

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Other Word Forms

• unorthodoxly adverb

Etymology

Origin of unorthodox

un- ¹ + orthodox

Example Sentences

Over the course of 18 seasons, Baltimore’s unorthodox appointment paid off spectacularly.

From The Wall Street Journal

Biopics are “an exasperating genre,” Variety wrote, smushing some of “the planet’s most unorthodox personalities into a reductive, overly moralistic mold.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He has credited his unorthodox point of view to the loss of his left eye to a childhood cancer, as well as his adult autism diagnosis.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s an unusual voice, and it’s an unorthodox voice, but there’s a voice there.”

From Los Angeles Times

His holdout vote in the wake of 200-plus members of his party voting otherwise is not the first time he has taken an unorthodox stance.

From BBC

Related Words

• different
• eccentric
• far-out
• heretical
• unconventional
• unusual