beatnik

noun beat·nik \ ˈbēt-nik \

Updated on: 9 Mar 2018

Definition of beatnik

: 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

See beatnik defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of beatnik from the Web

Few can actually wear one on a regular basis without looking like a pretentious beatnik.

— julie ma, The Cut, "10 Times Celebrities Wore Berets," 1 Mar. 2018
These beatnik businessmen were precursors to the libertarians who turned broadly toward the counterculture in the 1960s.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "The Case for “Retreatism” in the Trump Era," 15 Feb. 2018
This month’s events in the city encompass everything from the Castro Street Fair to the week-long Litquake, a chance to indulge your inner beatnik.

— mark ellwood, CNT, "Best Places to Travel in October," 5 Sep. 2017
On your right is the way out pad of the beatnik-hippie Grateful Dead.

— marin independent journal, The Mercury News, "Grateful Dead’s former publicist reflects on years with Marin’s most famous band," 11 Feb. 2017
On Nov. 17, 1959, an audacious saxophonist from Los Angeles named Ornette Coleman made his New York debut at the Five Spot, an East Village dive frequented by artists, beatniks and bohemians.

— julian sancton, Billboard, "Remembering Jazz's Greatest Year With the Living Legends of 1959," 5 May 2017
Andy Warhol, who first saw the group play at a beatnik club called Café Bizarre, on West Third Street, became their first manager, along with the filmmaker Paul Morrissey.

— amanda petrusich, The New Yorker, "John Cale’s Inventive Retrospection," 30 Jan. 2017
Golden State’s floor leader, Curry, exudes the vibes of a beatnik, not a brawler.

— karen crouse, New York Times, "Steve Kerr Leads Warriors’ Chase of a Record He Helped Set," 11 Feb. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beatnik.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of beatnik

³beat + -nik

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1958

in the meaning defined above

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BEATNIK Defined for English Language Learners

beatnik

noun

Definition of beatnik for English Language Learners

: a young person who was part of a social group in the 1950s and early 1960s that rejected the traditional rules of society and encouraged people to express themselves through art