Standard Lemma guide

unconventional

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH2 N K AH0 N V EH1 N SH AH0 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: wild, outré

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Out of the ordinary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Atypical.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something or someone that is unconventional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

not conforming to accepted rules or standards

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her unconventional dress and hair style

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: conventional

6

adjective

Meaning 6

not conventional or conformist

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • unconventional life styles

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: conventional

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an unconventional marriage
  • improper banking practices

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: improper, unlawful

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English convention English -al English conventional English unconventional From un- + conventional.

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: оригинален (originalen) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Bulgarian: нестандартен (nestandarten) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Chinese Mandarin: 非传统的 — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Finnish: epätavallinen — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Finnish: epätavanomainen — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • German: unkonventionell — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Hebrew: לא קונבנציונאלי — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Hindi: अपरंपरागत (apramprāgat) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Māori: hārakiraki — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Polish: niekonwencjonalny — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Romanian: neconvențional — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Romanian: atipic — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Russian: нестанда́ртный (nestandártnyj) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Russian: нетрадицио́нный (netradiciónnyj) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Russian: нешабло́нный (nešablónnyj) — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Spanish: anticonvencional — not adhering to custom, convention, or accepted standards
  • Bulgarian: необикновен (neobiknoven) — out of the ordinary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 特規的 /特规的 — out of the ordinary
  • Finnish: epätavallinen — out of the ordinary
  • Finnish: epätavanomainen — out of the ordinary
  • German: unkonventionell — out of the ordinary
  • Hindi: असामान्य (asāmānya) — out of the ordinary
  • Hindi: असाधारण (asādhāraṇ) — out of the ordinary
  • Māori: haraki — out of the ordinary
  • Polish: niekonwencjonalny — out of the ordinary
  • Russian: необы́чный (neobýčnyj) — out of the ordinary
  • Spanish: no convencional — out of the ordinary
  • Bulgarian: необичаен (neobičaen) — atypical
  • Finnish: epätavallinen — atypical
  • Finnish: epätavanomainen — atypical
  • German: unkonventionell — atypical
  • Polish: niekonwencjonalny — atypical
  • Russian: атипи́чный (atipíčnyj) — atypical
  • Russian: нетипи́чный (netipíčnyj) — atypical
  • Spanish: poco convencional — atypical
Real reading context

unconventional in complete knowledge articles