1
as in unconventional
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
a time when people with unorthodox religious views were banished from the colony
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2
as in modern
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
raised by an aunt, whose unorthodox parenting practices made for a strange but fun childhood
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3
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
an unorthodox but effective procedure for opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unorthodox
On the small screen, Katt rose to prominence as unorthodox teacher Harry Senate during the 2000-2004 run of Boston Public on Fox.
—
Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Actor Nicky Katt, who is remembered for his three-season stint as the unorthodox teacher Harry Senate on the David E. Kelley high school drama Boston Public, has died.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Brad Pitt ‘wasn’t pleased’ with Legends of the Fall, says director Ed Zwick
06 of 08
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
This may be an unorthodox choice.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Tritons have a formula that usually wins in March: a defensive system most opponents haven’t faced, an unorthodox star in Tait-Jones, an efficient offense capable of getting hot from 3 and an edge shaped by their backgrounds.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Actor Nicky Katt, who is remembered for his three-season stint as the unorthodox teacher Harry Senate on the David E. Kelley high school drama Boston Public, has died.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Brad Pitt ‘wasn’t pleased’ with Legends of the Fall, says director Ed Zwick
06 of 08
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
This may be an unorthodox choice.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Tritons have a formula that usually wins in March: a defensive system most opponents haven’t faced, an unorthodox star in Tait-Jones, an efficient offense capable of getting hot from 3 and an edge shaped by their backgrounds.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unorthodox
Adjective
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The mill embraces the beauty of imperfection and asymmetry in Chaos Aesthetics, a trend concept that favors expressive textures, unconventional finishes and rich tactile experiences.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Apr. 2025
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The generational gap in honesty found in the survey comes amid a broader trend of unconventional job-search behaviors among younger candidates, including ghosting employers and abandoning the hiring process midway.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Despite the awkward journey to this match, Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton created a babyface vs. heel dynamic that is hard to come by given how jaded modern wrestling fans have become.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Apostolic churches believe in modern day apostles and prophets, or those who claim to communicate directly with God and receive gifts of the Holy Spirit.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Reznick and some former Video Game Writers Caucus members continue to hold informal group meetings.—
Simon Abrams,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Apr. 2025
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In an informal presentation Monday to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Evjen and his consultants said the project would cluster the condos and parking to provide acreage for a wide conservation easement around the pond.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In one case, operatives posing as art dealers interested in purchasing a work by a dissident artist secretly installed surveillance equipment in his workplace and a GPS tracker on his car.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
He’d been allowed through the security checkpoint to attend a session given by a professor at the university, a Tunisian dissident and political exile, a specialist in the liberation movements of the Global South.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Leading the charge for the religious parents was lawyer Eric Baxter, who got a grilling from the court's three liberal justices.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
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The court’s three liberal justices all vigorously challenged the parents’ request in the case, seeing opt-out rights as a slippery slope.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For now, there’s nothing quite so out-there, although deer blood is the star ingredient in the final dessert, a chocolate-ish (but cocoa-free) fondant served with hazelnut praline and malt ice cream.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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An out-there premise, for sure, but one that has so far worked out better than anyone had a right to expect.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Francis, who was a progressive leader of the church, had appointed roughly 80% of the cardinals who are eligible to vote for the new pope, according to Miles Pattenden, historian of the Catholic Church at Oxford University.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
21 Apr. 2025
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Joseph Tobin Joseph Tobin, 72, is a highly progressive candidate for the Church and has amassed substantial influence in the U.S.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Living in Mexico is a radical act of joy, freedom, and reclamation.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But against the inertia of an institution built to resist change, even symbolic gestures can seem radical.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unorthodox. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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