# conventional

Pronunciation: say "kuhn-VEN-shuh-nuhl" /kənˈvɛnʃənəl/

## Adjective

1. Following generally accepted principles, methods, and behavior.
   - Simple: Following the usual rules or ways that most people accept.
   - _She took a conventional approach to teaching, sticking to tried-and-true methods._
   - _Conventional etiquette requires a guest to thank the host before leaving._
2. Ordinary and commonplace; of the usual, expected kind.
   - Simple: Ordinary and common, with nothing special or surprising about it.
   - _The film told a conventional story with no real surprises._
   - _Her tastes are fairly conventional; she likes familiar music and simple food._
3. Describing a weapon that is not a weapon of mass destruction: that is, not nuclear, chemical, or biological.
   - Simple: Used to describe ordinary weapons, not nuclear, chemical, or biological ones.
   - _The treaty focused on conventional forces rather than nuclear arsenals._
   - _Conventional bombs caused most of the damage across the city._
4. Unoriginal and overused; lacking freshness or imagination.
   - Simple: Not new or original, just like many other ordinary things.
   - _His painting was technically skilled but artistically conventional._
   - _The plot relied on conventional twists that every viewer could predict._
5. Using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides rather than organic methods of farming.
   - Simple: Growing food with man-made chemicals to feed plants and kill pests, not organic ways.
   - _The store sells both organic produce and cheaper conventional vegetables._
   - _Conventional growers apply synthetic fertilizer to boost their yields._
6. In bridge, describing a bid that conveys a prearranged meaning rather than a natural one.
   - Simple: In the card game bridge, describing a bid that carries a special agreed meaning, not its plain one.
   - _Partners agreed on a set of conventional bids before the tournament._
   - _The two-club opening was conventional, asking for a strong response._

## Noun

7. A gilt-edged government bond that pays the holder a fixed coupon every six months until maturity, when the principal is returned.
   - Simple: A type of government bond that pays a fixed amount every six months until it ends.
   - _The fund manager shifted from equities into a conventional paying a fixed coupon._
   - _Conventionals appeal to investors who want predictable income until maturity._

## Origin

Formed from "convention" combined with the suffix "-al".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/conventional (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).