Online OXFORD Collocation Dictionary

convention noun

¹ way sth is done

ADJ. accepted, established, long-standing, old, traditional, well-established It's an established convention that the part of the prince is played by a woman. | normal, standard, usual | polite Her work refuses any concession to polite conventions of ‘good taste’. | arbitrary | rigid, strict | cultural, legal, social the rigid social conventions of Victorian Britain | dramatic, fictional, literary, narrative, operatic, poetic The novel refuses to conform to the narrative conventions of 19th century realism. | orthographic, punctuation, rhetorical

QUANT. set

VERB + CONVENTION adhere to, conform to, follow, keep to, observe They followed the Greek convention of pinning gifts of money to the bride's dress. | be bound by, be hidebound by Life with the Leighs was not hidebound by rules or convention. | break (with), cut through, defy, flout She knew that she had broken an important social convention. He had the freedom of spirit to cut through convention. No young politician can afford to flout convention in this way.

CONVENTION + VERB demand sth, dictate sth Convention dictated that dangerous physical action is the part of heroes, not heroines.

PREP. according to/by ~ By convention, the Queen gives the Royal Assent to all measures passed by Parliament.

PHRASES a break with convention In a surprising break with convention, she wore a red wedding dress. | a matter of convention

² conference

ADJ. annual | international, national | Democratic, Republican, etc. | careers, constitutional, party, political A constitutional convention was elected to try to agree on a new form of government.

VERB + CONVENTION arrange, have, hold, organize | attend, go to | address He addressed the annual Republican convention.

CONVENTION + VERB take place

CONVENTION + NOUN centre | delegate

PREP. at a/the ~ She was at the Democratic convention.

PHRASES delegates to a convention

³ international agreement

ADJ. global, international | European, UN/United Nations, etc. | climate, human rights, etc. | draft

VERB + CONVENTION adopt, ratify, sign Over 60 countries have yet to ratify the climate convention. | adhere to, comply with Most countries have adhered to the convention. | breach This practice breaches the arms convention.

CONVENTION + VERB apply, govern sth a convention governing the conditions under which mining is permitted | establish sth The convention established procedures for the transport of toxic waste. | ban sth

PREP. under a/the ~ This is forbidden under the European Convention on Human Rights. | ~ between the 1869 convention between Turkey and Persia | ~ for the Berne Convention for the Conservation of European Wildlife | ~ on the 1951 United Nations Convention on refugees

PHRASES a breach of a convention