1
as in unconventional
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
a time when people with unorthodox religious views were banished from the colony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
On the small screen, Katt rose to prominence as unorthodox teacher Harry Senate during the 2000-2004 run of Boston Public on Fox.
—
Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Actor Nicky Katt, who is remembered for his three-season stint as the unorthodox teacher Harry Senate on the David E. Kelley high school drama Boston Public, has died.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Brad Pitt ‘wasn’t pleased’ with Legends of the Fall, says director Ed Zwick
06 of 08
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
This may be an unorthodox choice.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Tritons have a formula that usually wins in March: a defensive system most opponents haven’t faced, an unorthodox star in Tait-Jones, an efficient offense capable of getting hot from 3 and an edge shaped by their backgrounds.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Denise Petski, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Actor Nicky Katt, who is remembered for his three-season stint as the unorthodox teacher Harry Senate on the David E. Kelley high school drama Boston Public, has died.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
Brad Pitt ‘wasn’t pleased’ with Legends of the Fall, says director Ed Zwick
06 of 08
Concrete Cowboy (2021)
This may be an unorthodox choice.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
The Tritons have a formula that usually wins in March: a defensive system most opponents haven’t faced, an unorthodox star in Tait-Jones, an efficient offense capable of getting hot from 3 and an edge shaped by their backgrounds.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unorthodox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unorthodox
Adjective
-
That meant the movie, which sees an unconventional band of antiheroes brought together to combat a supervillain, escaped a decision by China to curb Hollywood imports earlier this month as part of its retaliation against the United States.—
Casey Hall and Sophie Yu,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
From backing unconventional shows like Stranger Things to challenging Hollywood’s release models, Netflix has cultivated a ‘risk position’ that runs through its culture, structure, leadership, and decision-making.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That Seguin came back is one of those modern medical marvels, but he can’t be expected to carry too much.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
Despite the awkward journey to this match, Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton created a babyface vs. heel dynamic that is hard to come by given how jaded modern wrestling fans have become.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In an informal presentation Monday to the Planning and Zoning Commission, Evjen and his consultants said the project would cluster the condos and parking to provide acreage for a wide conservation easement around the pond.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Reznick and some former Video Game Writers Caucus members continue to hold informal group meetings.—
Simon Abrams,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In one case, operatives posing as art dealers interested in purchasing a work by a dissident artist secretly installed surveillance equipment in his workplace and a GPS tracker on his car.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
He’d been allowed through the security checkpoint to attend a session given by a professor at the university, a Tunisian dissident and political exile, a specialist in the liberation movements of the Global South.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The court’s three liberal justices all vigorously challenged the parents’ request in the case, seeing opt-out rights as a slippery slope.—
Devin Dwyer,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Leading the charge for the religious parents was lawyer Eric Baxter, who got a grilling from the court's three liberal justices.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Joseph Tobin Joseph Tobin, 72, is a highly progressive candidate for the Church and has amassed substantial influence in the U.S.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
The mixed messaging would presage his style as a pontiff whose doctrinal conservatism would blend with increasingly progressive public statements.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Living in Mexico is a radical act of joy, freedom, and reclamation.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
-
But against the inertia of an institution built to resist change, even symbolic gestures can seem radical.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unorthodox. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share