nonconventional

adjective

non·​con·​ven·​tion·​al ˌnän-kən-ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)nəl 

: not conventional : not conforming to convention, custom, tradition, or usual practice : unconventional

nonconventional teaching methods

nonconventional energy sources

Ten years ago, the alternative press was hard to find but easy to define. Our task was to seek out the best thinking from the new left, the new age, and any other nonconventional source we could find.

—Eric Utne

Synonyms of nonconventional

• unconventional
• modern
• liberal
• progressive
• nontraditional
• contemporary
• radical

Examples of nonconventional in a Sentence

his nonconventional cures were the subject of some controversy

Recent Examples on the Web

But Magen David Adom’s dispatch unit in Ramla, about 12 miles southeast of Tel Aviv, is more than 100 feet underground, safeguarded by thick walls and a sophisticated respirator system capable of providing clean air in case of conventional and nonconventional attacks. —Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 4 Mar. 2026

The number is especially sobering given that Ritter’s metric measures from the first-day closing price (which is almost always higher than the official offer price), and excludes nonconventional IPOs like reverse mergers. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026

The report claims the IRGC is exploring nonconventional warhead configurations for long-range missiles. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025

Green Berets are training alongside Mexico’s elite marine infantry units in conventional and nonconventional combat techniques. —Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for nonconventional

• interventional
• nondimensional
• unconventional
• unintentional
• attentional
• conventional
• dimensional
• extensional
• intensional
• intentional
• multidimensional
• unidimensional