conventional wisdom

noun

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of conventional wisdom

: the generally accepted belief, opinion, judgment, or prediction about a particular matter

See conventional wisdom defined for English-language learners

Examples of conventional wisdom in a Sentence

Conventional wisdom in Hollywood says that a movie can't succeed unless it stars a famous actor or actress.

Recent Examples of conventional wisdom from the Web

Those preliminary results suggest that the conventional wisdom about the propensity of mental health problems among these children may be incorrect.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Olson is first psychologist to win NSF’s Waterman award," 17 Apr. 2018
The conventional wisdom that Elvis made terrible music in his last years is coolly shot down.

— kim willis, USA TODAY, "How HBO's 'Elvis Presley: The Searcher' rethinks the second half of the singer's career," 13 Apr. 2018
Regulation, which conventional wisdom held would never materialize in the United States, is suddenly theoretically accepted by Mark Zuckerberg as the cost of his failures.

— franklin foer, The Atlantic, "Silicon Valley Falls to Earth," 9 Apr. 2018
Sure, conventional wisdom would recommend an A4 or 3 Series.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "The Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti: A sports sedan for people who want to drive," 6 Apr. 2018
Many shareholders retain their belief in Mr Musk’s ability to overturn conventional wisdom.

— The Economist, "Tesla is heading for a cash crunch," 5 Apr. 2018
So much for conventional wisdom Abington-Lansdale Hospital, which is part of the Jefferson Health System, discounts emergency department bills by 50 percent when the patient is uninsured, with a maximum charge to the patient of $1,600.

— sarah gantz, Philly.com, "How having health insurance spiked her hospital bill by $400," 3 Apr. 2018
The majority — as should be expected — are goalkeepers, the one position where conventional wisdom still decrees that permanence is paramount.

— rory smith, New York Times, "See Jack Run: 227 Premier League Miles, One Deliberate Step at a Time," 30 Mar. 2018
At Wellesley, the Charles Koch Foundation supports the Freedom Project, an academic hub that highlights speakers challenging the conventional wisdom on issues, including conservative thinkers.

— annie linskey, BostonGlobe.com, "With patience, and a lot of money, Kochs sow conservatism on campuses," 2 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conventional wisdom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.