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
Will Carless, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
As such, the city takes on its own distinctively sooty, nonconformist character.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Invariably, memorials devoted to these two nonconformists emphasized their complicated personalities.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Adjective
Once ridiculed and dismissed for his nonconformist views on vaccines, nutrition, and exercise, Kennedy now leads a vast legion of followers and acolytes.
—Will Carless, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
As such, the city takes on its own distinctively sooty, nonconformist character.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
German immigrants founded and built the club, and in later decades Nature Friends became a hub for numerous groups: some esoteric, some nonconformist and others looking for a rustic place to chill.
—R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
Invariably, memorials devoted to these two nonconformists emphasized their complicated personalities.
—Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 3 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformist
Adjective
-
The striped abstract paintings throughout the installation are based on polo shirts worn by Cuban state security agents who blend into crowds during protests, while gladiolus flowers reference the Ladies in White dissident movement.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
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These included eight members of Iranian dissident organization People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOE/MEK) and 24 participants in Iran’s January 2026 protests.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Collins is a tough campaigner who can straddle the line as reliable party player and outspoken maverick.—
Julia Terruso,
Time,
8 June 2026
-
Over his career, he was described as a blunt, independent, outspoken politician who was a maverick, boat-rocker, loose cannon, skilled partisan, and, above all, political survivor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The Indian government, far more committed to democratic procedures than its Chinese counterpart, had crushed dissenters for actions far less provocative.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
One commissioner voted ‘no,’ has concerns The board voted 4-1 to approve the measure; Commissioner Michelle Clasen, who represents Woodbury, was the lone dissenter.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The merger chatter has been fueled in part by SpaceX’s unconventional, and some experts say, unprecedented, governance structure.—
Morgan Brennan,Harriet Taylor,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
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Aureus Vita Fibonacci Dry Gin earned its Gold Outstanding medal in one of the competition's most creative categories — a space where producers lean hard on local ingredients and unconventional botanical combinations to stand out.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
But the film is really a tour of a pre-gentrified East Village, full of low-key bars and cafes, run-down apartments, eccentrics and struggling artists.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Once a stronghold of canneries and lumber mills, the town has numerous tumbledown Victorians that have long been havens for artists, brewers, and various eccentrics—along with fans of The Goonies, who make pilgrimages to see where the seminal movie was shot.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
People didn’t come to the series with a working knowledge of the State Department, ready to see what the renegades were like.—
Debora Cahn,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Young Julian might also be surprised by how your Corpus crew, which started kind of like a renegade group of friends, now has real community impact.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.—
Elizabeth Sander,
San Antonio Express-News,
19 Aug. 2022
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Nonconformist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformist. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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