Synonyms of unorthodox

unorthodox

adjective

ˌən-ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks 

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

• unconventional
• dissident
• out-there
• dissenting
• heretical
• iconoclastic
• maverick
• nonconformist
• heterodox
• nontraditional
• separatist
• dissentient
• nonorthodox
• sectarian
• freethinking
• free-spirited
• renegade
• apostate
• schismatic
• defecting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conventional
• orthodox
• conformist
• conforming

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

• unconventional
• modern
• liberal
• progressive
• radical
• contemporary
• nontraditional
• nonconventional
• advanced
• nonorthodox
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• extreme
• lenient
• permissive
• tolerant
• impartial
• unbiased
• large-minded
• indulgent
• forbearing
• objective

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• traditional
• conventional
• conservative
• orthodox
• rigid
• old-fashioned
• strict
• hard
• dogmatic
• stodgy
• hidebound
• doctrinal
• nonprogressive
• intolerant
• bigoted
• reactionary
• narrow-minded
• blinkered
• unreconstructed

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

• unconventional
• informal
• heterodox
• unofficial
• irregular
• unauthorized
• unceremonious
• casual
• relaxed
• familiar
• easygoing
• free and easy
• offhand
• lax
• ultracasual
• loose

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conventional
• regular
• formal
• orthodox
• routine
• ceremonial
• proper
• correct
• rigid
• ceremonious
• stiff
• restrained
• decorous
• inhibited
• uptight
• constrained
• stuffy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unorthodox

Convinced the program is failing to teach the girls any real-life skills, Tatum throws out the rulebook and launches her own unorthodox agenda to prepare them for adulthood. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 July 2026

Though unusual, unorthodox and often a last resort, police departments at times call on psychics to help redirect detectives who’ve looked at the same facts and evidence time and again. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026

The Royals finish their unorthodox homestand, which was affected by the World Cup, with a rare Monday day game, then hit the road for a series in Baltimore and then New York. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026

But McClintock—secular, skeptical, profoundly unorthodox—wasn’t seeking the holy. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 July 2026