Conventionalis

Conventionalis is a Latin adjective meaning “conventional” or “pertaining to a convention or agreement.” It derives from conventio, meaning an agreement or coming together, with the -alis suffix forming a descriptive adjective. In classical Latin, the masculine and feminine form appears as conventionalis, while the neuter form is conventionale.

In Latin usage, conventionalis is employed to describe things established by custom, agreement, or convention rather than by nature or necessity. It often appears in scholarly, legal, or philosophical contexts to specify conventional standards, practices, or methods. In the realm of scientific nomenclature, Latin adjectives are commonly used as species epithets; conventionalis may occur in older literature as a descriptive epithet indicating that a feature is conventional or typical rather than defined by other criteria. Its exact meaning can depend on the surrounding text and a given author’s intent.

Philosophically, the related English term conventionalism denotes the view that certain propositions, rules, or mathematical or scientific structures are grounded in convention. While conventionalis would be the Latin adjective form used to describe such a doctrine in Latin prose, most discussions employ conventionalism rather than the Latin adjective in contemporary writing.

See also: conventionalism, convention, Latin adjectives, taxonomy.