conventional wisdom

Definition of conventional wisdomnext
as in party line
opinions or beliefs that are held or accepted by most people Conventional wisdom in Hollywood says that a movie can't succeed unless it stars a famous actor or actress.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conventional wisdom An American had never been pope, and the prevailing conventional wisdom was that one never would be elected. — Scott Detrow, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026 The conventional wisdom in basketball has always been that rebounding and transition are principles at odds, that prioritizing one means sacrificing the other. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026 Where does our experience lead us to a different conclusion than conventional wisdom? — Amanda Simonian, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026 For the past decade or more, conventional wisdom has held that the United States and China were plunging into a new Cold War that would carry (as the old Cold War did) palpable risks of turning hot. — Zachary Karabell, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conventional wisdom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conventional wisdom
Noun
  • Jones, a former venture capitalist and fellow Democrat, targeted the incumbent for accepting major corporate donations, following the establishment party line and tied Thompson’s congressional record to under‑investment in the district.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In a 12-11 party line vote, Nicole Saphier — a former Fox News contributor and radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York — took a step closer to becoming the nation’s top doctor.
    — Rachel Roubein, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This makes generalization and AGI key concepts when reasoning about the speed of progress.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The same can be demonstrated for generalizations of square grids in high dimensions.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Wolff was only the eighth woman to drive a Formula 1 car (four more have done it since); the role, a now-commonplace one that includes driving the simulator during Grand Prix weekends to inform trackside strategy, was created for her.
    — Danielle McNally, InStyle, 28 May 2026
  • The videos are often integrated into larger montages of drone strikes, underscoring how commonplace these drones have become for Russian forces.
    — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
Noun
  • Les Nickelettes challenged gender stereotypes, broke taboos and claimed unprecedented freedom.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Of course, not all women in Washington, and Southeastern Florida for that matter, fit the stereotype.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The new concealer and neutralizer make up a new two-step routine.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Patients complete an online survey covering their skin concerns, history, current routine and goals, which is reviewed by a clinician licensed in their state.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conventional wisdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conventional%20wisdom. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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