unorthodox
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unorthodoxly adverb
Etymology
Origin of unorthodox
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing unorthodox
Power Prefix: un-
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Brave New World
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "U"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With an unorthodox business model that allows it to capitalize on global disruptions, Venture Global raked in billions of dollars in 2022 when Russia throttled gas deliveries to Europe and buyers sought new supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Black paired up with Marcello Hernández to play martial arts instructors who teach unorthodox self-defense methods.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
Tuchel has spoken about Foden as an unorthodox deputy for captain Harry Kane as a central striker, but this would surely be too much of a stretch.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Both Fulham and Palace utilised unorthodox shapes and movement against Spurs to exploit their defensive approach.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
Ashamed, now that the effects of the soma had worn off, of the weakness he had displayed that morning in the hotel, he went out of his way to show himself strong and unorthodox.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
