ˌən-kən-ˈven(t)-sh(ə-)nəl
1
as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
the Shakers acquired their name because of their unconventional practice of dancing with shaking movements during worship
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in modern
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
had unconventional opinions on the raising of children
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules
young, creative people who lead unconventional but fulfilling lifestyles
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unconventional
Devoted to exhibiting and supporting unconventional contemporary art by a diverse range of emerging and midcareer artists, Art in General mounted more than 2,000 shows before closing in 2020 amid the Covid-19 crisis.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 14 Aug. 2025
For some, that risk might mean leaving a stable job, starting from scratch or trusting an unconventional idea.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.
—Filomena Nunes, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Batman '66 looks more unconventional with every passing decade of by-the-numbers Gotham grimness.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
News Desk, Artforum, 14 Aug. 2025
For some, that risk might mean leaving a stable job, starting from scratch or trusting an unconventional idea.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.
—Filomena Nunes, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Batman '66 looks more unconventional with every passing decade of by-the-numbers Gotham grimness.
—Devan Coggan, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconventional
Adjective
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The spy agency tipped off an Iranian dissident group, which went public with the revelation two years later.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
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When an unexpected request comes from a dissident singer in hiding, his solitude and routine is broken — and so is to an extent his passivity.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The redevelopment builds on Soffer’s vision of blending timeless design with modern amenities—now expanding to include family-friendly features.—
Cheryl Tiu,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The electro-hydraulic power steering overflows with tactility, serving up a vivid, feathery feel not unlike a modern McLaren.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For years, stablecoins, digital tokens pegged to a fiat currency, operated in a patchwork of state laws, informal guidance, and regulation by enforcement.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Valencia had been killed in 2009, before Ricky Pike and his parents had thrown themselves into organizing aid for other families of homicide victims in an informal network of logistical help, money for flowers or transportation and other support.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In the dissenting view, the star collapses to the edge of the event horizon and then hovers there, or rebounds and explodes.—
Corey S. Powell,
Discover Magazine,
26 Feb. 2015
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Adjective
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Part of that is a rejection of decades of progressivism and progressive values, which had become the Establishment.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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The erosion of support was the result of a miscalculation: renewable advocates aligned too closely with progressive climate politics, turning an industry once embraced by all into a left-wing cause, alienating conservatives along the way.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Best Backpacking Trip Heart Lake Kick back on the pebbly beach surrounding this out-there lake for a day or two, scoping for trumpeter swans, elk, grizzlies, and wolves in the daytime hours and getting dazzled by the stargazing at night.—
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan,
Outside Online,
3 June 2025
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Ultimately, though, I’m just not convinced this movie’s out-there ending leaves viewers with much to chew on.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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It is generally accepted in classical liberal economic thinking that the state should only intervene where there has been a market failure, i.e., where the free market is unable to produce a socially desirable outcome.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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PiS accuse their liberal opponents of trying to subvert the will of the people and their supporters plan to march in the capital on inauguration day.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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As Peter Singer has argued for decades, doing the most good shouldn’t be radical.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Some other notable attacks at US military bases in recent years include: On November 5, 2009, an Army psychiatrist with radical Islamist beliefs opened fire at a processing center at Fort Hood, a major US Army post, in Texas, killing 13 people and an unborn child, and wounding more than 30 others.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconventional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconventional. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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