convention
noun
con·ven·tion
kən-ˈven(t)-shən 
1
b
: an agreement between states for regulation of matters affecting all of them
an international convention banning the spread of nuclear weapons
c
: a compact between opposing commanders especially concerning prisoner exchange or armistice
d
: a general agreement about basic principles or procedures
also
: a principle or procedure accepted as true or correct by convention
the conventions of grammar
2
a
: the summoning or convening of an assembly
b
: an assembly of persons met for a common purpose
a comic book convention
especially
: a meeting of the delegates of a political party for the purpose of formulating a platform and selecting candidates for office
c
: the usually state or national organization of a religious denomination
3
a
: usage or custom especially in social matters
conventions of society
b
: a rule of conduct or behavior
c
: a practice in bidding or playing that conveys information between partners in a card game (such as bridge)
d
: an established technique, practice, or device (as in the theater)
The usual romantic conventions made the film predictable.
Examples of convention in a Sentence
We go to the weeklong annual teachers' convention every summer.
He bought some new books at the science fiction convention.
The Democratic National Convention will meet next week to announce their party's candidate for president.
It's important to follow the conventions of punctuation in a paper for school.
They say school is just as important for teaching children social codes and conventions as for teaching math.
Many sports shows have recently adopted the conventions of the talk show.
a poet who rebels against literary convention
The award that by convention should have gone to the student with the highest grade went instead to the teacher's favorite.
As a matter of convention, the oldest members speak first.
The director's use of the usual romantic conventions made the film boring and predictable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Following her participation in the event, which reunited several of the stars of the famed 1966 Batman live-action series, Newmar won't attend any other fan conventions or expos.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
The news was announced on the first day of the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York, which is expected to draw 40,000 attendees from retail and technology companies this week.
—Anne D’innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
At the Republican convention in mid-May at the Mohegan Sun casino, candidates need 15% of the convention delegates to qualify for the August primary.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2026
Developers like Ozdemir are betting that Indianapolis will continue to be a convention powerhouse, especially with the new Signia Hotel that will open the door to hosting two conventions at once.
—Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for convention
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Cite this Entry
“Convention.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convention. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
convention
noun
con·ven·tion
kən-ˈven-chən
1
: agreement sense 2a, covenant
an international convention banning the spread of nuclear weapons
2
: a meeting of persons for a common purpose
a constitutional convention
teachers' convention
3
: a custom or a way of acting or doing things that is widely accepted and followed
the conventions of punctuation
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