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.
In Valeria Luiselli’s unconventional narrative, the pair explore books and beaches together—and experience a frightening episode near Mount Etna.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
For the first time, they derived an exact formula for the phenomenon by using an unconventional mathematical approach.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
Still, the company’s first earnings call of 2009 was unconventional.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026
Ahead of the sound bath, Oso Sound Healing Studio founder Avery Whitmore said the unconventional space would invite a childlike energy, a deeper connection to animals and introspection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
However, in his time the brief tradition of tolerance for unconventional views began to erode and then to shatter.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
