as in unconventional
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
his nonconventional cures were the subject of some controversy
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Recent Examples of nonconventional
Green Berets are training alongside Mexico’s elite marine infantry units in conventional and nonconventional combat techniques.
—
Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
After building two lucrative businesses, the serial entrepreneur and attorney set her sights on ensuring her family was also a success in a nonconventional way.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 6 Oct. 2024
China’s use of nonconventional weaponry may be a strategic move to avoid sparking escalation and to stave off international attention, particularly from the United States.
—Anika Arora Seth, Washington Post, 22 June 2024
Oil producers are working harder than ever to replace their reserves and, increasingly, turning to nonconventional petroleum sources such as Canada’s tarry bitumen and ultra-deepwater offshore wells.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Aug. 2012
See All Example Sentences for nonconventional
Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
After building two lucrative businesses, the serial entrepreneur and attorney set her sights on ensuring her family was also a success in a nonconventional way.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 6 Oct. 2024
China’s use of nonconventional weaponry may be a strategic move to avoid sparking escalation and to stave off international attention, particularly from the United States.
—Anika Arora Seth, Washington Post, 22 June 2024
Oil producers are working harder than ever to replace their reserves and, increasingly, turning to nonconventional petroleum sources such as Canada’s tarry bitumen and ultra-deepwater offshore wells.
—IEEE Spectrum, 30 Aug. 2012
See All Example Sentences for nonconventional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconventional
Adjective
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The situation was finally resolved when a wildlife response team used an unconventional method, crawling under the house and firing paintballs filled with vegetable oil to drive the bear out.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
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This unconventional but sweet design was the perfect reference to Margaret’s free spirit.—
Jessica Gibbs,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But this modern approach is teamed with ancient medicinal practices and a holistic, full-circle philosophy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
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Those are just some of the ways in which the three elements have become critical for modern manufacturing, including for defense.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gorsuch’s opinion drew support from liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Even those who advocated for conservative positions were compelled to make their case in language amenable to the liberal sensibility.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In the movie, which was progressive for its time, the trans character attempts suicide after being subjected to emotional and physical abuse by the manipulative Sonny, who tries to make amends by going rogue and stealing money for their surgery.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Upstairs, Riva Terrace is a super-fun warm-weather spot for Italian small plates and progressive cocktails like First Light (a pineapple-run creation infused with ginger and ginseng) overlooking the outdoor pool and the office buildings of downtown.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For people with nontraditional schedules — like first responders, overnight workers and journalists — getting quality sleep can be even more challenging.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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These pivotal memories of Clark and Floyd’s buddy romance amount to another darkly comic portrait of a nontoxic male friendship — complete with nontraditional definitions of manhood that place meaningful friendships over monolithic strength — all built on a foundation of lies and insecurities.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These nursery primers turned out to be the start of Tennyson’s lifetime immersion in contemporary science.—
Kathryn Hughes,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Actually, as Dyer shows, those near-contemporary newspaper articles were anything but definitive proof.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The proliferation of biennials in the ’90s made the art world multicentric and global, a radical shift compared with previous decades.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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The new group is less radical and much more reasonable.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonconventional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconventional. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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