Conventional

Based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed; traditional or ordinary rather than new or experimental.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine a town where every citizen wears identical gray suits, uses the same model of car, and follows the same daily routine—anything new is met with suspicion because people prefer the conventional way.

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Sounds Like

kən-ven-shə-nəl

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Looks Like

looks like convention + al; evokes following a standard practice

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Remember This

Conventional is the opposite of unconventional; often used to describe traditional, mainstream, or widely accepted practices.

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Other Forms

conventionnoun

conventionalitynoun

conventionallyadverb

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Connect With

tradition, custom, standard, mainstream, orthodoxy, conformity

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Note

Be careful not to confuse conventional with convenient—conventional refers to adherence to established norms, not ease or usefulness.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The wedding followed a conventional schedule with all the customary rituals.
Some critics argue that conventional farming methods neglect innovation in sustainable practices.

Synonyms

traditionalcustomaryorthodoxstandardmainstream

Antonyms

unconventionalinnovativeradical

Etymology

From conventionalis (Latin for 'pertaining to a convention'), from convention (an established practice) + -al; convention itself derives from Latin convenire 'to come together'.

Mnemonic

CON-VENT-ion-AL: Remember that conventional means 'following the convention'—think of a convention where everyone adheres to the same rules.