konventionelle

Konventionelle is the inflected form of the German adjective konventionell, meaning conforming to convention, standard, or traditional. As an attributive adjective, it describes methods, technologies, or practices that follow established norms rather than being novel or experimental. The form konventionelle is used before feminine singular nouns (die konventionelle Methode) and before plural nouns (die konventionellen Methoden).

Usage appears in several domains. In agriculture, konventionelle Landwirtschaft refers to farming that relies on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and standardized input supply chains, in contrast to biologische Landwirtschaft or organische Landwirtschaft. In energy and industry, konventionelle Energiequellen denote coal, oil, and natural gas, as opposed to erneuerbare Energien. In medicine, konventionelle Medizin denotes mainstream medical practice, versus alternative or komplementäre Therapien. In the military, konventionelle Waffen are weapons intended for conventional warfare, as opposed to unkonventionelle weapons such as nuclear, chemical, or biological arms.

Historically, konventionell derives from Konvention, meaning agreement or standard, and konventionell means in accordance with such conventions. In contemporary usage the term can carry neutral or evaluative connotations depending on context, and it is often contrasted with terms for innovative or alternative approaches. The English equivalents are conventional or traditional.