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
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Noun
In her breakthrough piece, Heretic, Graham is dressed in white and rebuffed and rebuked by a group of 12 women dressed in black: the punishment of the nonconformist.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2022
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
See All Example Sentences for nonconformist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformist
Adjective
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In 1735, dissident publisher John Peter Zenger was charged with seditious libel for criticizing New York’s royal governor.—
Mike Fox,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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Further down the totem pole, hundreds of thousands of white-collar professionals—particularly in IT, finance, and business services—are benefiting from higher salaries as their dissident peers emigrate and their skills become scarcer.—
ALEXANDER GABUEV,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Garrett, a maverick who put the Portuguese town of Nazaré on the map for its massive waves, set a record there, surfing a 78-footer — imagine an eight-story office building coming up behind you.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
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Trump had called out Massie by name during the meeting, ribbing the Kentucky maverick for opposing the legislation at the heart of the president’s domestic agenda.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Similar incidents also happened in Talbot County, where dissenters were imprisoned by the occupying military command.—
Paul Callahan,
Baltimore Sun,
29 May 2025
-
The Nicolás Maduro regime has intensified its authoritarian grip, driving opposition figures, human rights activists, journalists, and ordinary dissenters either underground or into exile.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Consider a colleague who presented unconventional ideas in meetings or pursued a less traditional career path.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Featured prominently on many critics’ best-of-year lists, the book has captivated readers around the world, sparking a cultural dialogue around female desire, aging and unconventional relationships.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
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The move to shutter the renegade shops — which in Manhattan alone vastly exceeded the number of Starbucks coffee shops — was widely applauded.—
Ashley Southall,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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His band of renegades is deeply committed to their mission and the members enjoy working together to overcome obstacles.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 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
-
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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To take her mind off him, Agathe meets an Austen-like family of eccentrics running the retreat and the sometimes pretentious writers attending it.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 May 2025
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But the settlers’ belief in the value of public goods and embrace of independent thinkers remain woven into the character of the city, which continues to attract artists, eccentrics and writers.—
Isabelle Taft,
New York Times,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonconformist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformist. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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