unconventional

un·con·ven·tion·al | \ ˌən-kən-ˈvench-nəl

How to pronounce unconventional (audio)

, -ˈven(t)-shə-nᵊl\

Definition of unconventional

: not conventional : not bound by or in accordance with convention : being out of the ordinary an unconventional outfit an unconventional thinker

Other Words from unconventional Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about unconventional

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Examples of unconventional in a Sentence

Her lifestyle is rather unconventional. the Shakers acquired their name because of their unconventional practice of dancing with shaking movements during worship

Recent Examples on the Web Stewart, however, upstages everyone, from the opening close-up on her gleeful grin to her array of colorful costumes, riotous non sequiturs and unconventional posture choices. — Mark Lieberman, Anchorage Daily News, "Kristen Stewart is a lively shot in the arm for tired ‘Charlie’s Angels’ reboot," 13 Nov. 2019 To be a woman in early 20th-century America and indulge that kind of restlessness and adventurous spirit was an unconventional thing, yet Gertie had the wealth and determination to push back at the gender norms that bound many of her contemporaries. — oregonlive, "The first American woman in uniform captured by the Nazis: Veterans Day 2019," 11 Nov. 2019 Marionettes have also branched into the avant-garde, morphing into unconventional sizes, forms and materials. — Liz Alderman, New York Times, "The French Theaters Where the iPhone Is No Match for Guignol," 11 Nov. 2019 Former military personnel have the unique ability to learn in unconventional environments. — Socrates Rosenfeld, Quartz, "Military veterans are the future of weed entrepreneurship," 9 Nov. 2019 Using prizes to encourage unconventional innovators. — K.n.c., The Economist, "The value of freeing ideas, not just locking them up," 8 Nov. 2019 Instead, Niagara local Deirdre Fraser acts as the in-house forager and gardener, sourcing wild mushrooms from the neighboring forest while growing unconventional herbs like syrupy rabbit tobacco and tangy pineapple sage. — Aliza Abarbanel, Bon Appétit, "The Restaurant at Pearl Morissette Offers a Tasting Menu for the Climate-Conscious Era," 7 Nov. 2019 It's been an unconventional start to the Premier League season, to say the least. — SI.com, "The Relegation Battle: 90min Predicts Which Premier League Teams Will Go Down This Season," 6 Nov. 2019 Aside from its small size and lack of federal grant experience, Shlama was an unconventional choice for another reason. — Yeganeh Torbati, ProPublica, "How Mike Pence’s Office Meddled in Foreign Aid to Reroute Money to Favored Christian Groups," 6 Nov. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near unconventional

uncontroversial

uncontrovertible

unconventionalism

Statistics for unconventional

Last Updated

17 Nov 2019

Time Traveler for unconventional

The first known use of unconventional was in 1835

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