unorthodox

adjective

ˌən-ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks How to pronounce unorthodox (audio)
Definition of unorthodoxnext
1
as in unconventional
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices a time when people with unorthodox religious views were banished from the colony

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2
as in modern
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs raised by an aunt, whose unorthodox parenting practices made for a strange but fun childhood

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3
as in informal
not rigidly following established form, custom, or rules an unorthodox but effective procedure for opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of unorthodox The unorthodox approach raises questions for the Reeder family about police’s investigative strategy. — Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 The Celtics will play in the opening game of the 2026-27 NBA season — and that game will feature a highly unorthodox start time. — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 Now scientists are turning to more unorthodox approaches, including psilocybin therapy. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026 In the first season, he was met with resistance on all fronts to his unorthodox methods of coaching, his ignorance of the sport, his sheer Americanness. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unorthodox
  1. unconventional
  2. modern
  3. informal
  4. dissident
  5. liberal
  6. out-there
  7. progressive
  8. radical
Adjective
  • Munetaka Murakami made the quick decision to step on the bag and then throw to the plate, where catcher Drew Romo tagged out Trevor Larnach for an unconventional inning-ending double play.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • All the drama from last week’s showdown with the season-21 designers is resolved by season 22 winning the unconventional-materials challenge.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Users reported problems with Outlook, while OpenAI said users may experience problems starting or continuing tasks in ChatGPT Work, temporarily disabling two of the modern office's favorite methods of assigning more work.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Drew This gender-neutral name is inspired by former Saints quarterback Drew Brees, considered one of the best signal-callers of the modern era.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of modern
Adjective
  • On paper, the January agreement between Damascus and the SDF provides a framework for resolving informal wartime boundaries and closed routes and for harmonizing competing duties and parallel systems of governance.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The minimum monthly salary for a state worker in Cuba is 3,210 pesos, currently less than $5 in the informal dollar exchange market.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of informal
Adjective
  • Stötzer nevertheless circulated the text as samizdat, setting her own testimony against the Stasi’s record of her activities—much as the dissident writer Jürgen Fuchs had done in his 1977 text Gedächtnisprotokolle (Memory Protocols).
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Projects must be led by LGBTQ+ directors and screenwriters, or by professionals whose dissident gender identities and expressions inform their creative perspectives.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dissident
Adjective
  • Petrov pointed to the Yabloko party, the longtime voice of the liberal opposition that campaigns for an end to the war.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In those rulings, Roberts joined with the court’s three liberal justices and at least one other conservative justice.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of liberal
Adjective
  • They’re made from a faux leather that, frankly, looks really expensive, and are available in 20 colors, including some more out-there prints.
    — Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Guitarist Adam Turay and trumpeter Ryan Easter both come from the jazzier side of the tracks, the former playing with Afro-R&B group the Narcotix, the latter with more out-there units like WRENS.
    — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
Definition of out-there
Adjective
  • His progressive pass zones, shaded most darkly near the halfway line in the opposition half, underline where Bard felt most comfortable passing from for Nice last term.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Rachel Yve, who posted a 20-minute somatic sleep support session on InsightTimer, blends somatic exercises, breathwork and progressive muscle relaxation, including legs up the wall.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of progressive
Adjective
  • Burning Man, a weeklong event focused on radical self-expression, participation, communal effort and civic responsibility, is expected to draw approximately 70,000 people this year.
    — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • As a result, the hair’s length is largely preserved; this isn’t about a radical cut, but about creating texture that wasn’t there before.
    — Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of radical

Browse Nearby Words

unornamented
unorthodox
unorthodoxy
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Cite this Entry

“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unorthodox. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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