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unorthodox

Unorthodox describes something that goes against the usual ways of doing things. Instead of describing yourself as a terrible speller, you might instead proudly refer to your spelling as unorthodox.

The adjective unorthodox originally referred to religion, specifically to a person or practice that went against the traditions of a particular belief. The Greek roots of unorthodox are orthos, or "right," and doxa, or "opinion." So someone whose beliefs are orthodox has "the right opinion," while an unorthodox person does not. The definition has evolved so that unorthodox's meaning is closer to "unusual" or "innovative" than just plain "wrong."

Definitions of unorthodox
  1. adjective
    breaking with convention or tradition
    “an unorthodox lifestyle”
    Synonyms:
    dissentient, recusant
    (of Catholics) refusing to attend services of the Church of England
    dissident, heretical, heterodox
    characterized by departure from accepted beliefs or standards
    iconoclastic
    characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions
    nonconforming, nonconformist
    not conforming to established customs or doctrines especially in religion
    Reformed
    of or relating to the body of Protestant Christianity arising during the Reformation; used of some Protestant churches especially Calvinist as distinct from Lutheran
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    Antonyms:
    mainstream, orthodox
    adhering to what is commonly accepted
    conservative
    resistant to change
    antiheretical
    opposed to heresy
    canonic, canonical, sanctioned
    conforming to orthodox or recognized rules
    conforming, conformist
    adhering to established customs or doctrines (especially in religion)
    conventional, established
    conforming with accepted standards
    traditional
    pertaining to time-honored orthodox doctrines
    unreformed
    unaffected by the Reformation
    standard
    established or well-known or widely recognized as a model of authority or excellence
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  2. adjective
    independent in behavior or thought
    synonyms: irregular, maverick
    unconventional
    not conforming to accepted rules or standards
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘unorthodox'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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