Basic Details
Word: Conventional
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Done in the usual, accepted way that most people follow, rather than in a new or unusual way.
Synonyms: traditional, usual, ordinary, standard
Antonyms: unconventional, unusual, original
How to Spell Conventional
Syllables: con - ven - tion - al
Tricky part: It is convention plus al, so it has tion in the middle and a single l at the end. Students write convensional or conventionel.
Watch out for: convensional, conventionel, conventionall
Memory tip: A convention is a usual way of doing things; add al and it becomes conventional. Think of tradition and traditional, built the same way.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My grandfather prefers a conventional wristwatch with hands to a digital one.
Example 2: Instead of a conventional speech, the head girl told a story.
Example 3: Most conventional cars run on petrol or diesel.
Fun Fact
A conventional oven cooks with heated air and hot elements, while a microwave oven heats food with microwaves.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Which of these words forms a real word with the suffix al?
al
a) custom
b) practice
c) convention
d) habit
Show answer
c) convention. Convention plus al gives conventional; habit becomes habitual and custom becomes customary, while practice plus al is not a word.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to conventional as used in the sentence:
For Riya's birthday, instead of a conventional cake, her cousins built a tower of laddoos.
a) ordinary
b) standard
c) unusual
d) traditional
Show answer
c) unusual. A conventional cake is the usual kind; a laddoo tower is unusual.
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt. Choose what that word means.
1. convensional 2. occasional 3. exceptional 4. emotional
a) showing strong feelings
b) happening now and then
c) done in the usual, accepted way
d) much better than usual
Show answer
c) done in the usual, accepted way. Occasional really has sion, but conventional keeps the tion of convention, so convensional is the wrong one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is the most conventional way to greet a teacher in India?
a) saying namaste or good morning
b) waving a flag from the back bench
c) doing a cartwheel in the corridor
d) singing a film song very loudly
Show answer
a) saying namaste or good morning
2. Conventional comes from the noun ____.
a) conversion
b) conviction
c) convention
d) convent
Show answer
c) convention
