/ kənˈvenʃənl; NAmE / adjective
1.
(often disapproving ) tending to follow what is done or considered acceptable by society in general; normal and ordinary, and perhaps not very interesting :
conventional behaviour / morality
She's very conventional in her views.
OPP unconventional
2.
[ usually before noun ] following what is traditional or the way sth has been done for a long time :
conventional methods / approaches
It's not a hotel, in the conventional sense, but rather a whole village turned into a hotel.
OPP unconventional
3.
[ usually before noun ] ( especially of weapons ) not nuclear :
conventional forces / weapons
a conventional power station (= using oil or coal as fuel, rather than nuclear power)
► con·ven·tion·al·ity / kənˌvenʃəˈnæləti; NAmE / noun [ U ]
► con·ven·tion·al·ly / -ʃənəli; NAmE / adverb :
conventionally dressed
conventionally grown food (= grown according to conventional methods)
•
IDIOMS
see wisdom
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 15th cent. (in the sense relating to a formal agreement or convention ): from French conventionnel or late Latin conventionalis , from Latin conventio(n-) meeting, covenant, from the verb convenire assemble, agree, fit, from con- together + venire come.