Konvention

Konvention is a German noun with several related meanings. It most commonly designates a formal agreement or treaty between states, organizations, or individuals. A second major sense is a socially established norm or practice, that is, conventions of behavior, politeness, or standard procedures within a field. A third usage appears in the arts and humanities to describe conventional devices or genres that are widely accepted within a culture. The term is used across law, diplomacy, sociology, linguistics, and culture.

Etymology and form: Konvention derives from the Latin conventio, via the Middle French convention, and entered German in the early modern period. The plural form is Konventionen.

Contexts and examples: In international law and diplomacy, Konvention denotes a binding instrument, such as völkerrechtliche Konventionen, including the Genfer Konventionen on humanitarian law, and numerous multilateral agreements on trade, environment, or disarmament. In sociology and linguistics, social conventions refer to shared expectations that enable coordination without explicit negotiation, such as norms of politeness, customary tipping, or established patterns of language use. In the arts and media, conventions describe accepted patterns or tropes of a genre, such as the conventions of crime fiction or film noir.

See also: Geneva Conventions; Convention.