What does conventionalise mean?
To conventionalise is to make something conform to convention — to shape a practice, design, or idea according to established norms rather than leaving it individual or irregular. The verb carries two closely linked uses: in general contexts it describes bringing behaviour, institutions, or processes into line with accepted custom, while in art criticism it refers specifically to rendering natural subjects through simplified, traditional, or symbolic forms instead of faithful realism. A medieval manuscript painter, for example, conventionalises foliage into repeating decorative patterns. The word is formal in register and appears most frequently in scholarly discussions of art, architecture, anthropology, and social theory. It is the British spelling; American writers usually prefer conventionalize. Its connotations are largely neutral-to-critical, since conventionalising often implies a loss of originality or vitality as distinctive features are smoothed away into familiar templates.
verbTo make something conventional; to render it in accordance with accepted customs, styles, or standards, often stripping away individuality or irregularity. In art and design, to simplify or stylise natural forms into established, conventional patterns.
- To cause something to conform to convention or accepted practice.
- In art: to represent natural subjects through simplified, traditional, or symbolic forms rather than realistic detail.
"The architect conventionalised the facade, replacing the ornate carvings with clean, standardised motifs."
"Over the centuries, the once-expressive folk dance was gradually conventionalised into a fixed set of formal steps."
"Early Christian art conventionalised the human figure, favouring symbolic poses over anatomical realism."
"Conventionalise" is simply the British twin of "conventionalize" — same word, different spelling, and a favourite in art history for describing how wild natural forms get tamed into tidy patterns.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of conventionalise
The word derives from the noun 'convention', which entered English from Latin via French — ultimately from Latin 'convenire', meaning 'to come together or agree'. From this root English also gained 'conventional' (17th century), and the verb conventionalise was formed by adding the suffix '-ise', which marks verbs of making or becoming. Cognates sharing the Latin convenire root include 'convene' and 'intervene'. The American variant spelling conventionalize arose from the parallel use of '-ize' endings in the United States.
Related word forms
How conventionalise is actually used
The -ise spelling is chiefly British; Americans typically write conventionalize. The word is formal and appears most often in academic writing on art, architecture, anthropology, and sociology.
Easily confused with conventionalise
Conventionalize is the American spelling of the same verb, while conventionalise is the British spelling — they mean exactly the same thing.