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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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
An unconventional scheme Firefighters initially rushed to tamp down the blaze caused by the explosion and ensure no victims were inside.
—
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
Since the video of their antics went viral, TikTok users can't get enough of their unconventional friendship.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Although unconventional, this is not the first time a celebrity opted to wear a backward jacket on the red carpet.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
Their living situation might seem unconventional, with their baby growing up among a group of college students, but in this environment, Nami has thrived.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
Since the video of their antics went viral, TikTok users can't get enough of their unconventional friendship.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
Although unconventional, this is not the first time a celebrity opted to wear a backward jacket on the red carpet.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
Their living situation might seem unconventional, with their baby growing up among a group of college students, but in this environment, Nami has thrived.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconventional
Adjective
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In 1735, dissident publisher John Peter Zenger was charged with seditious libel for criticizing New York’s royal governor.—
Mike Fox,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Further down the totem pole, hundreds of thousands of white-collar professionals—particularly in IT, finance, and business services—are benefiting from higher salaries as their dissident peers emigrate and their skills become scarcer.—
ALEXANDER GABUEV,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In India, wine culture takes off — with a vineyard scene that’s worth a trip A postcard from the sunrise side of Islamorada in the Florida Keys Florida News Meet Orlando’s dinkiest diva: Pearl, the world’s shortest dog Her origin story is a modern tale of love, attitude and cloning.—
South Florida Sun Sentinel,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2025
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Philosophers from John Rawls to Jürgen Habermas have argued for its essential place in modern democracy.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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With its gleaming cabinetry, large central island and ample space for a large table and chairs for informal meals, this area has an undeniable contemporary feel and visual appeal.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
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This exemption enabled informal workers and women who had had career gaps due to childrearing, for instance, to retire with some security.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
30 May 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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Five years after Floyd’s killing, police backers say public opinion has largely swung back in favor of aggressive law enforcement, pointing to voter decisions last year to pass tough-on-crime legislation and oust progressive prosecutors.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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The black lung clinic at Stone Mountain Health Services in southwestern Virginia has diagnosed 75 new cases of progressive massive fibrosis in the past year, according to its medical director, Drew Harris.—
Taylor Sisk,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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For now, there’s nothing quite so out-there, although deer blood is the star ingredient in the final dessert, a chocolate-ish (but cocoa-free) fondant served with hazelnut praline and malt ice cream.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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An out-there premise, for sure, but one that has so far worked out better than anyone had a right to expect.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Republicans have painted their deportation push as a commonsense measure being obstructed by out-of-touch liberal élites siding with bloodthirsty criminals.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
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Some liberal critics on social media say that Republicans did not seem to take issue when the same slogan — or even more violent rhetoric — was targeted at a Democratic president.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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That is the question as Mexicans go to the polls Sunday to elect the country’s judges in a radical reshaping of the nation’s power structure.—
Patrick J. McDonnell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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This is a radical break for a firm that has been run for operational performance for twenty years.—
Andrew Binns,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconventional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconventional. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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