nonconformist

noun non·con·form·ist \ ˌnän-kən-ˈfȯr-mist \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of nonconformist

1 often capitalized : a person who does not conform to an established church; especially : one who does not conform to the Church of England

2 : a person who does not conform to a generally accepted pattern of thought or action

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nonconformist

adjective, often capitalized

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Examples of nonconformist in a Sentence

He was a nonconformist in college but now wears a three-piece suit to work every day.
They were stubborn nonconformists who chose to be arrested instead of obeying the laws.

Recent Examples of nonconformist from the Web

Dearden will topline the pilot as Karen Wolff, a nonconformist who secretly wishes to fit in and be accepted.

— lesley goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Hulu's Carrie Brownstein Comedy Finds Leads in Taylor Dearden, Aubrey Peeples," 8 Mar. 2018
Relatives and children of nonconformists were disadvantaged, their life chances limited.

— paul roderick gregory, WSJ, "What the ‘Great Terror’ Taught Autocrats," 23 Aug. 2017
Tan found inspiration in such nonconformists as Jarmusch and Lynch, and film became her favorite language (clips from classics of the auteur canon punctuate the doc, to variously witty and stirring effect).

— sheri linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Shirkers': Film Review | Sundance 2018," 23 Jan. 2018
Pink is once again playing the part of the mainstream’s favorite nonconformist, singing of insecurities and imperfect relationships replete with drinking and fighting, but with an idealism that shines through and ensures maximum marketability.

— joe coscarelli, New York Times, "Pink Quietly Became Pop Royalty. Here’s How She Made It Last.," 5 Oct. 2017
Considering that the Belgian nonconformist set out to challenge the fashion system—not just with his designs, but also with his way of conducting business—the industry’s current fixation on him is more than a little ironic.

— Vogue, "Didn’t Make It to Antwerp for “Margiela: The Hermès Years”? See Rare Images From 8 of the Designer’s Collections for the House, Here," 21 Aug. 2017
In addition to its Jewish inmates, Dachau housed political offenders, Jehovah’s Witnesses, gay men, Roma and those deemed asocial: nonconformists, vagrants and, in Bavarian artist Georg Tauber’s case, addicts.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "This Dachau Survivor’s Harrowing Art Is on Display for the First Time," 31 July 2017
Luckily, the homeowners are adventurous nonconformists.

— kathleen renda, House Beautiful, "Nature-Lovers Will Obsess Over This Washington Cottage With Zero Bedrooms," 10 July 2017
Considering that the people who were attracted to, and could survive training for, a career in air-traffic control were often social and emotional nonconformists, these tests were widely understood to be coercive, if not punitive.

— gregory pardlo, The New Yorker, "The Cost of Defying the President," 12 Feb. 2017

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