con·ven·tion

con·ven·tion (kn-vnshn)
n.

1. 
   
   1. A formal meeting of members, representatives, or delegates, as of a political party, fraternal society, profession, or industry.
      
   2. The body of persons attending such an assembly: called the convention to order.
   
   
2. An agreement between states, sides, or military forces, especially an international agreement dealing with a specific subject, such as the treatment of prisoners of war.
   
3. General agreement on or acceptance of certain practices or attitudes: By convention, north is at the top of most maps.
   
4. A practice or procedure widely observed in a group, especially to facilitate social interaction; a custom: the convention of shaking hands.
   
5. A widely used and accepted device or technique, as in drama, literature, or painting: the theatrical convention of the aside.

---

[Middle English convencioun, from Latin conventi, conventin-, meeting, from conventus, past participle of convenre, to assemble. See convene.]


Just so we're clear on definitions

We've broken the Geneva Conventions, abandoned the ABM treaty, basically declared that reality is whatever George W. says it is. Then we wonder why everybody's mad at us.

In the absence of WMD, or any meaningful link to Al Qaeda, we justify a war of choice by claiming to care about the Iraqi people, but we refuse to keep track of how many we've killed, let alone injured. We hold thousands, without charges, in Saddam's worst prison. We refuse to examine ourselves, and get angry when the rest of the world points out our inconsistencies.

There are those who hate us, but, most of the world loves what America is supposed to stand for, freedom, justice, opportunity. They don't understand how one incident could lead us to abandon our better nature. After all, they've had to live with the threat and results of terror for decades. After all, they lost people too, on September 11, 2001.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=convention&r=67

---

con·ven·tion·al(kn-vnsh-nl)
adj.

1. Based on or in accordance with general agreement, use, or practice; customary: conventional symbols; a conventional form of address.


2. Conforming to established practice or accepted standards; traditional: a conventional church wedding.
   
1. Devoted to or bound by conventions to the point of artificiality; ceremonious.
   
2. Unimaginative; conformist: longed to escape from their conventional, bourgeois lives.


4. Represented, as in a work of art, in simplified or abstract form.
   
5. Law. Based on consent or agreement; contractual.
   
6. Of, relating to, or resembling an assembly.
   
7. Using means other than nuclear weapons or energy: conventional warfare; conventional power plants.

---

con·vention·al·ism n.
con·vention·al·ist n.
con·vention·al·ly adv.

---

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=conventional&r=67