as in dissident
deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices
a cattle-ranching family that took some time in getting used to their daughter's nonconformist adoption of vegetarianism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
always the nonconformist, she insisted on wearing red on St. Patrick's Day and not green like everyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dissenter
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs
a nonconformist who was excommunicated from her church for her teachings
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nonconformist
New York Times, 25 July 2022
Fedoras, trilbys and Panamas seem to proclaim the wearer as either an extravagant nonconformist or an anti-feminist reactionary.
—New York Times, 15 July 2022
The Return of Tanya Tucker is a fittingly unconventional portrait of a nonconformist.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
Former Portland Mayor Bud Clark, a nonconformist to the end, received a natural burial Feb. 12 at River View Cemetery in Southwest Portland.
—oregonlive, 22 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Noun
Ye, however, was widely known to be both a perfectionist and a nonconformist.
—New York Times, 25 July 2022
Fedoras, trilbys and Panamas seem to proclaim the wearer as either an extravagant nonconformist or an anti-feminist reactionary.
—New York Times, 15 July 2022
The Return of Tanya Tucker is a fittingly unconventional portrait of a nonconformist.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022
Former Portland Mayor Bud Clark, a nonconformist to the end, received a natural burial Feb. 12 at River View Cemetery in Southwest Portland.
—oregonlive, 22 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformist
Adjective
-
He’d been allowed through the security checkpoint to attend a session given by a professor at the university, a Tunisian dissident and political exile, a specialist in the liberation movements of the Global South.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
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Rumors about an investigation against He first surfaced among the Chinese dissident community following China’s annual political meetings last month.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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After 15 long and grueling hours of maverick medical procedures, heartbreaking losses, and nightmarish IV-drilling sounds, our day-shift friends at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center can finally go home.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2025
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Yet no one else can quite believe that the Mafia have followed cocaine from tough Sicily to sleepy Apulia, least of all the dismissive Bari police chief, who reprimands Pietro for his maverick approach to detective work.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Board member Camille Rodriguez was the lone dissenter during the board vote.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Outgoing Councilwoman Jenny Spencer was the only dissenter.—
Sam Allard,
Axios,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
These unconventional or niche markets—whether they’re built around specific lifestyles, cultural shifts, unique services, or underserved consumer segments—can offer less competition, more loyal customers, and a sharper opportunity to stand out.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Turn a Closet into a Book Nook In this bedroom, as well as the other two in the house, Allison made the unconventional decision to remove the closets.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The renegades were attempting to void the ACC’s grant-of-rights agreement, which would clear them to join the SEC or Big Ten.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Sports Illustrated even called for UM to disband what was seen then as a renegade football program led by a coach playing by his own rules.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In the dissenting view, the star collapses to the edge of the event horizon and then hovers there, or rebounds and explodes.—
Corey S. Powell,
Discover Magazine,
26 Feb. 2015
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The document runs to more than a hundred and fifty pages, and for each question there are affirmative and dissenting studies, as well as some that indicate mixed results.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
3 June 2022
Noun
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Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Attracting talent for greater innovation hazards acquiring a few eccentrics whose gifts come wrapped in controversial packaging.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonconformist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformist. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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