unconventional
un-kuhn-VEN-shuh-nuhl
/ˌʌnkənˈvenʃənəl/
Not bound by or conforming to stringently established customs, rules, or standards.
Focuses on choosing alternative methods or lifestyles rather than following societal habit.
The story behind the word. Built from Latin 'convenire', meaning 'to come together or agree'. A convention was a formal agreement or practice that people came together to follow. Adding 'un-' creates a term for anything that stands outside agreed social norms.
Word relationships
- maverick: Maverick implies aggressive or rebellious self-direction, whereas unconventional simply means non-standard.
- conventional: Conventional aligns strictly with accepted rules and traditional social practices.
Commonly confused with
- unusual: Unusual means infrequent; unconventional means deliberate departure from accepted standards.
Word family
- unconventionally (adverb): In a non-traditional manner.
- convention (noun): An accepted tradition or standard rule.
Collocations
- unconventional wisdom
- unconventional methods
- unconventional lifestyle
- unconventional approach
Example sentences
- "She took an unconventional path to becoming a CEO, starting her career as a street performer." Professional career path
Memory hook
UN-CONVENTION = NOT showing up to the standard social CONVENTION. Breaking away from the crowd's agreement.
When not to use
Avoid using to describe natural scientific anomalies that lack human choice.
Fun facts
- In military terminology, 'unconventional warfare' refers specifically to guerrilla tactics rather than standard troop battles.
Explore more words
unorthodox, maverick, nonconformist, iconoclastic, propriety, unconstrained
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