Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: French
Origin: Latin conventio, from convenire; CONVENIENT

convention

 noun
     
Related topics: Arts, Government
con‧ven‧tion W2
1 [countable] a large formal meeting for people who belong to the same profession or organization or who have the same interests:
a teachers' convention
the city's new convention center
a convention for science fiction fans
2 [countable]PG a formal agreement, especially between countries, about particular rules or behaviour [= pact, treaty]
convention on
the European convention on human rights
3 [uncountable and countable] behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal and right [= custom]:
Playing together teaches children social conventions such as sharing.
They defied the conventions of the time by living together without being married.
by convention
By convention, the bride's father gives her away at her wedding.
4 [countable]A a method or style often used in literature, art, the theatre etc to achieve a particular effect:
the conventions of the nineteenth century novel
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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