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
And when goals did go in, the unconventional trajectory of the Jabulani was oddly fascinating.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
The hero’s journey on this show is achieving their unconventional American dream.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Casting director Shaheen Baig and her team had to look in unconventional places and spread the word high and low, and over all sorts of Instagram stories in order to find Owen Cooper for Jamie, Amelie Pease for Lisa, Fatima Bojang for Jade, and others.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
The unconventional choice hints at the director’s disinterest in a tidy search-and-rescue, and the relief that comes with it.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Michael Cox, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
The hero’s journey on this show is achieving their unconventional American dream.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Casting director Shaheen Baig and her team had to look in unconventional places and spread the word high and low, and over all sorts of Instagram stories in order to find Owen Cooper for Jamie, Amelie Pease for Lisa, Fatima Bojang for Jade, and others.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 15 Aug. 2025
The unconventional choice hints at the director’s disinterest in a tidy search-and-rescue, and the relief that comes with it.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unconventional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unconventional
Adjective
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The film follows a reclusive mortician who faces an unusual request from a dissident singer in hiding.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
20 Aug. 2025
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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
Adjective
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At Fort Lauderdale Airport, ERS’s main unit will be a sleek and modern 693-square-foot flagship store that will showcase top-end spirits, fragrances and jewelry.—
Kevin Rozario,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Only two other Cubs hitters in the modern era produced those numbers in a game: Andre Dawson in his 1987 MVP season and Hall of Famer Billy Williams in 1971.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After training, the men act as peer educators, visiting homes and hosting informal talks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Aug. 2025
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Male Alzheimer’s caregivers group: The Men’s Breakfast Club is an informal and unstructured gathering of male caregivers.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 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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Leading up to the 2016 election, South Park went all in against political correctness with the addition of PC Principal, a frat bro with arrogantly aggressive progressive takes on everything.—
Chris Yogerst,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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The Republican criticism comes as voters have used the process to pass policies seen as progressive.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What were some other out-there ideas that never came to fruition?—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
18 Aug. 2025
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On the accessories front, absolutely everyone is wearing knitted and crocheted caps, plus other out-there hair accessories like bold clips, mega-size scrunchies, and pillbox hats.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Since taking office in a snap election in June, the liberal Lee has taken steps to lower tensions with the nuclear-armed North, and the issue is one where he is expected to find common ground with Trump, who still boasts of his historic summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.—
Joyce Lee,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
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What’s most notable about the Virginia fight over Title IX isn’t that the Trump administration is aggressively applying it against liberal school boards.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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He was taught by the radical abolitionist Gilbert Wakefield, and his father was a friend and admirer of the Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, whose ideas helped inspire the French Revolution.—
Roy Scranton,
The Conversation,
22 Aug. 2025
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This radical philosopher inspires Margret and Heinz Wittmer (Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl) and their young son to follow and farm.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unconventional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unconventional. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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