conventionally

Everyday

1. Conventionally means in the usual, normal, accepted way that most people do things. tree →
2. (science, maths) Done by a usual agreed rule, a convention, such as writing numbers in a certain way. tree →
3. (farming) Conventionally grown food is grown with the usual modern methods, often with chemicals, not organically. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life it describes ordinary behaviour or dress: «conventionally dressed». In maths and science it shows an agreed custom: conventionally, the x-axis is horizontal; current is conventionally said to flow from + to −. In stories it can show that a character is ordinary or follows the rules. Phrases: «conventionally attractive», «conventionally grown».

Examples

• He was dressed conventionally in a suit and tie. tree →
• Conventionally, we write the x-axis across the page. tree →
• Conventionally, a story has a beginning, a middle and an end. tree →
• These apples were grown conventionally, not organically. tree →
• She chose not to live conventionally and travelled the world in a van. tree →
• Electric current is conventionally shown flowing from positive to negative. tree →
• In maths, angles are conventionally measured anticlockwise. tree →

Note

Adverb from «conventional» (usual) and «convention» (an agreed custom, or a big meeting). Spelled with double l: conventionally. Opposite: unconventionally. In science, a «conventional» direction can be different from what really happens (electrons actually move from − to +), so conventionally does not always mean «truly».

In Jewish tradition

In everyday life it describes ordinary behaviour or dress: «conventionally dressed». In maths and science it shows an agreed custom: conventionally, the x-axis is horizontal; current is conventionally said to flow from + to −. In stories it can show that a character is ordinary or follows the rules. Phrases: «conventionally attractive», «conventionally grown».

Note

Adverb from «conventional» (usual) and «convention» (an agreed custom, or a big meeting). Spelled with double l: conventionally. Opposite: unconventionally. In science, a «conventional» direction can be different from what really happens (electrons actually move from − to +), so conventionally does not always mean «truly».