maverick

noun mav·er·ick \ ˈmav-rik , ˈma-və- \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: maverick in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of maverick

1 : an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf

2 : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party

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Examples of maverick in a Sentence

Let him refind his inner rebel, the famous irreverent maverick, let the tiger out of the cage. —Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal, 28–29 June 2008
In the Senate, however, he had established himself as a bright and prickly maverick, not averse to sharp criticism of his own party, its policies, and its leaders, most especially Bill Clinton. —John Gregory Dunne, New York Review of Books, 13 June 2002
This, of course, is dangerous for the rest of us. With one successfully repatriated daughter, Papi might yank us all out of college and send us back. Not to mention that it's out and out creepy that Fifi, the maverick, is so changed. —Julia Alvarez, How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, 1991
there's always one maverick who has to go his own way

Recent Examples of maverick from the Web

While most appointees in recent years have succeeded a like-minded predecessor, the 81-year-old Justice Kennedy, while conservative in nature, nonetheless has proved a maverick on issues that have helped define modern American society.

— joshua jamerson, WSJ, "Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Exit Sets the Stage for a Fierce Battle Over His Successor," 28 June 2018
And on Tuesday, Democrats in several states that President Trump carried in 2016 selected ideological mavericks to carry their banner in difficult House races.

— New York Times, "Trying for House Gains, Democrats Bless Moderates and Annoy Liberals," 13 May 2018
Even so, Mr Dershowitz is an intellectual heavyweight, a beguiling maverick, and his effort to immunise Mr Trump against demands for his impeachment is illuminating.

— The Economist, "The case against impeachment," 12 July 2018
Lord and Miller were viewed as risk-taking mavericks, compared with the steady hand of Howard.

— ryan faughnder, latimes.com, "As 'Solo' sputters, some are nervous about Disney's 'Star Wars' future," 5 June 2018
Mr Davis is a 69-year-old maverick who loves threatening to resign.

— The Economist, "What doesn’t kill her makes Theresa May stronger," 12 July 2018
Babis has signed a deal the far-left Communist Party in a move that will give the maverick Communists a role in governing for the first time since the country’s 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution.

— Washington Post, "New Czech government wins confidence vote in Parliament," 11 July 2018
While always a maverick, guided only by his own enthusiasms and dislikes, Rissient was also a consummate insider, gaining the ear of top filmmakers, producers, executives, journalists and tastemakers of all kinds.

— todd mccarthy, The Hollywood Reporter, "Pierre Rissient, Acclaimed French Director and Producer, Dies at 81," 6 May 2018
Much of that hope is riding on Beto O’Rourke, an El Paso maverick.

— Houston Chronicle, "Does the Democratic Party have the talent, money to carry the day?," 22 June 2018

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

Did You Know?

When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term maverick was being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails.

Origin and Etymology of maverick

Samuel A. Maverick †1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1867

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

maverick Synonyms

Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

maverick

adjective mav·er·ick \ ˈmav-rik , ˈma-və- \

Definition of maverick

: characteristic of, suggestive of, or inclined to be a maverick

Examples of maverick in a Sentence

Occasionally nerves and veins take maverick pathways and show up in unexpected places. —Virginia Holman, Double Take, Winter 2002
Later British units, deprived of the opportunity for maverick expression by a revamped chain of UN command with a different political agenda, started spouting the organization's euphemisms that sought to paint every Bosnian side the same shade of guilty grey. —Anthony Loyd, My War Gone By, I Miss It So, 1999
He was maverick enough, original-minded enough, however, to realize that he could do better than simply follow Murray's orders to the letter. —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998
George Sand's maverick views on marriage scandalized 19th-century French society.