DictionaryconventionAccepted practice
noun

convention

A practice or arrangement accepted by common agreement.

By convention, the oldest member speaks first at each meeting.

Etymology

The Latin verb includes coming together and agreeing. A convention is a practice sustained by shared acceptance, as though its participants have come together on the same arrangement.

More examples

  • The team follows a naming convention for shared files.
  • Her poems break the usual conventions of rhyme and punctuation.
  • The countries sign a convention to protect endangered wildlife.

Forms

convention · conventions

conventional adjective — Following practices that people generally accept.

Similar words

custom
Emphasizes repeated tradition rather than an explicitly agreed arrangement.
protocol
Specifies procedures for particular situations, especially official interactions.
treaty
Means a formal agreement between countries, not an everyday practice.