convention
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a traditional way of behaving or doing something that most people in a society follow.
a widely observed social custom or practice established by general consent or long usage.
Simple“It is a social convention to shake hands when you meet someone for the first time.”
In context“The artist delighted in flouting artistic convention, using industrial materials that shocked the traditional gallery-going public.”
Antonymsunorthodoxyeccentricity - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large meeting of people who belong to the same profession, political party, or interest group.
a large formal assembly of delegates or members of an organisation, often for political or professional purposes.
Simple“Thousands of fans travelled to the city for the annual comic book convention.”
In context“The party's national convention served as a platform to unify the various factions before the general election campaign began in earnest.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a formal agreement between countries or a set of rules for a specific activity.
a formal agreement or treaty between states, or a set of rules governing specific professional or technical practices.
Simple“The Geneva Convention sets out the rules for how prisoners of war should be treated.”
In context“The signatory nations met to discuss updates to the international convention on maritime safety, ensuring the protocols reflected modern technological advancements.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
a standard way of doing something in a specific field, like writing or science.
a rule or method of practice in a particular field, such as literature, art, or mathematics.
Simple“In English writing, the convention is to start a new paragraph for each new speaker.”
In context“The research paper followed the standard naming conventions for chemical compounds to ensure clarity for international readers.”
“Ocasio-Cortez speaks during the Democratic national convention in August 2024.”
“In 2021, he told the story at the CPAC convention .”
Recorded since about 1440, borrowed from Middle French convention, from Latin conventiō (“meeting, assembling; agreement, convention”), from conveniō (“come, gather or meet together, assemble”), from con- (“with, together”) + veniō (“come”). Equivalent to convene + -tion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.