ˌən-kən-ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)nəl
1
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
the Shakers acquired their name because of their unconventional practice of dancing with shaking movements during worship
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in modern
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
had unconventional opinions on the raising of children
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3
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
young, creative people who lead unconventional but fulfilling lifestyles
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unconventional
In the sweltering summer heat, some Americans are reaching for an unconventional source of hydration: pickle juice.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2025
Attention is once again back on the city’s iconic river, which, a year ago, was the unconventional stage for the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2025
The creamy, lightweight, and long-lasting formulas make mixing, matching, and building unconventional looks effortless.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 18 July 2025
All totaled, the network will air 65 hours of unconventional sports during this run of The Ocho.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2025
Attention is once again back on the city’s iconic river, which, a year ago, was the unconventional stage for the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 19 July 2025
The creamy, lightweight, and long-lasting formulas make mixing, matching, and building unconventional looks effortless.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 18 July 2025
All totaled, the network will air 65 hours of unconventional sports during this run of The Ocho.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconventional
Adjective
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Today, the primary Kurdish dissident groups in Iran are the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) and the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, which has splintered into several factions in recent years.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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He was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European parliament and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by former Czech president and dissident Václav Havel.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Climate control systems can monitor and regulate all the inputs in modern greenhouses and hoop houses.—
Julie Weed,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Think of it as the breezy, modern little sister to her grand estate up the hill.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Beijing has issued informal guidance to major Chinese tech groups to increase purchases of domestic AI chips in order to reduce reliance on Nvidia and support the evolution of a rival domestic chip ecosystem.—
Eleanor Olcott,
ArsTechnica,
31 July 2025
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At that initial playoff committee meeting in Daytona Beach, an informal poll in the room showed a split between those who thought a change was desirable (again, including this writer) and those who felt the status quo was fine.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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In the dissenting view, the star collapses to the edge of the event horizon and then hovers there, or rebounds and explodes.—
Corey S. Powell,
Discover Magazine,
26 Feb. 2015
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Adjective
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Shoshana, like most of Tel Aviv, is modern, progressive and feminist.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
25 July 2025
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But before the summer fruit became an icon of a leisurely lifestyle, tomatoes, at least in American culture, were once a symbol of progressive rural life.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Ultimately, though, I’m just not convinced this movie’s out-there ending leaves viewers with much to chew on.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
24 July 2025
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Guests did not shy from donning some of the designer’s more out-there creations.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court on Monday paused an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, who issued a preliminary injunction reversing the layoffs and calling into question the broader plan.—
Mark Sherman,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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The model for these ecosystems comes from Colorado, where in the mid 2000s a liberal donor collective is credited with helping Democrats take and keep control of the statehouse.—
Kayla Dwyer,
IndyStar,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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This book is exactly the kind of radical pamphlet Zinn cites as an essential American form: polemical ideas, plainly written, and published in simple, short volumes that are easily shared and easily hidden away.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
30 July 2025
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What sounds commonplace today was, 36 years ago, a radical proposition.—
AD PRO,
Architectural Digest,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconventional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconventional. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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