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.
As smooth as it sounds, the song’s arrangement is actually somewhat unorthodox, opening with the chorus, and its verses are sparse, the first simply repeating the phrase, “Just bees and things and flowers.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 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
But Berk’s push to move quickly is unorthodox.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
I am guilty about having so few of these: I know I am unorthodox, hopelessly heterosexual, a mother, quisling and secret wimp.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
