unorthodox

adjective

un·​or·​tho·​dox ˌən-ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks How to pronounce unorthodox (audio)
: not orthodox
unorthodoxly adverb

Examples of unorthodox in a Sentence

a time when people with unorthodox religious views were banished from the colony raised by an aunt, whose unorthodox parenting practices made for a strange but fun childhood
Recent Examples on the Web In 2016, the Bank of Japan took the unorthodox step of bringing borrowing costs below zero, a bid to kick-start borrowing and lending and spur the country’s stagnating economy. Joe Rennison, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Previous research by Jared and others has documented some of the ringed caecilians’ unorthodox parenting methods. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things follows the evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe). Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2024 This unorthodox approach provides tremendous narrative momentum, leaving readers guessing which famous literary figure — including John Grisham, Celeste Ng, Diana Gabaldon, R. L. Stine and of course, Atwood herself, to name just a few — wrote what. Zara Khan, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 As far as airport shuttles go, the 911 GT3 RS is an unorthodox choice. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2024 To try to find a way out of the impasse around forming a government — and to avoid everyone’s least favorite option, new elections — politicians have been talking about unorthodox arrangements with little or no precedent. Claire Moses, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024 Refuse to let anyone manipulate you using unorthodox means. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 As the two navigate their unorthodox romance, Solène must also learn to juggle her career and her daughter while avoiding the 24-hour news cycle in pursuit of Campbell. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unorthodox.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unorthodox was in 1629

Dictionary Entries Near unorthodox

Cite this Entry

“Unorthodox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unorthodox. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unorthodox

adjective
un·​or·​tho·​dox ˌən-ˈȯr-thə-ˌdäks How to pronounce unorthodox (audio)
ˈən-
: not orthodox : not usual
an unorthodox teaching method

More from Merriam-Webster on unorthodox

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