free spirit

noun

plural free spirits

: a person who thinks and acts in an uninhibited way without worrying about normal social rules : nonconformist

Their daughter is a real free spirit.

Von der Becke thinks of himself now as a free spirit: a sort of drug-free, hard-working hippie.

—Tim Cahill

Here was a man of extraordinary sensitivity, political acumen, spiritual power, and sexual wildness; a free spirit if ever there was one.

—Alice Walker

free-spirited

ˈfrē-ˈspir-ə-təd 

adjective

Synonyms

• bohemian
• boho
• counterculturist
• deviant
• enfant terrible
• heretic
• iconoclast
• individualist
• lone ranger
• lone wolf
• loner
• maverick
• nonconformer
• nonconformist

Examples of free spirit in a Sentence

Their daughter is a real free spirit.

an artistically inclined free spirit who felt alienated and stifled while growing up in a small town

Recent Examples on the Web

Loose silhouettes, prints, and ruffles will have your inner free spirit on display this fall. —Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2024

Wildflower represents all of us passionately experiencing life with a free spirit and sense of independence, able to grow and survive anywhere, and driven to succeed. —Vogue Club, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2024

The intention is seemingly to show that Lily is a quirky yet relatable bohemian free spirit. —Cady Lang, TIME, 9 Aug. 2024

For as much as Cobby is a free spirit, Rory is careful, even plodding, taking copious notes when Besegai lays out the scheme. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above