beatnik

noun

beat·​nik ˈbēt-nik How to pronounce beatnik (audio)
: a person who participated in a social movement of the 1950s and early 1960s which stressed artistic self-expression and the rejection of the mores of conventional society
broadly : a usually young and artistic person who rejects the mores of conventional society

Examples of beatnik in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Le Bus, however, stemmed from its founder's disruptive idea of chartering inexpensive shuttle buses to fetch young clubbers and beatniks from neighboring suburbs and drop them home in the early hours of the day. Lindsey Tramuta, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026 Travolta then came out on stage, wearing a beret and a trim geometric beard (a look that seemed like a beatnik nod to Samuel L. Jackson), and the audience was rapturous in its appreciation. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026 Name Thomas Dolby Best known for Playing a cameo role as a beatnik bartender in Howard the Duck. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 17 Apr. 2026 Big Sur, ancestral home of the Esselen Tribe, former refuge for beatniks and literati like Henry Miller, and a hiking haven where the redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean, is fully accessible once more. Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beatnik

Word History

Etymology

beat entry 3 + -nik

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatnik was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Beatnik.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatnik. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

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