conventionalism
|con-ven-tion-al-ism|
🇺🇸
/kənˈvɛnʃənəlɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/kənˈvɛnʃ(ə)nəlɪzəm/
reliance on convention
Etymology
'conventionalism' originates from English combination of 'conventional' + the suffix '-ism'; 'conventional' ultimately comes from Latin 'conventio' / 'conventio(n-)' where 'con-' meant 'together' and 'venire' meant 'to come', and the suffix '-ism' derives from Greek '-ismos' via Latin/French meaning 'doctrine' or 'practice'.
'convention' developed from Latin 'conventio' into Old French 'convention' and Middle English 'convention'; the adjective 'conventional' (meaning 'based on agreement or custom') arose from that noun, and English formed 'conventionalism' by adding '-ism' to denote a doctrine or tendency.
Initially related to the idea of a 'coming together' or an 'agreement' (Latin 'conventio'), the sense shifted through 'convention' to mean customary practice; 'conventionalism' later came to mean the doctrine or tendency of relying on such conventions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
adherence to established conventions, customs, or traditional practices; preference for what is customary or usual.
Her conventionalism made her uncomfortable with experimental art forms.
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Noun 2
in philosophy or social theory, the doctrine that social norms, meanings, or truths are grounded in human conventions or agreements rather than in objective facts.
Philosophical conventionalism argues that many linguistic meanings depend on social agreements.
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Noun 3
a tendency in art, literature, or behavior to rely on formal, formulaic, or stereotyped conventions rather than originality.
Critics accused the film of conventionalism for depending on predictable plot devices.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 02:32