Definition of NONCONFORMIST

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 on the Web But repression of public dissent remains fierce and widespread, with state security agents harassing nonconformists ranging from independent journalists to ordinary citizens who complain about public services. — Washington Post, "Cuba grants unprecedented access to presidential tour," 15 Nov. 2019 The franchise, which is known for player evaluation, has had its share of nonconformists and must have every expectation that Brown can dial back his temperament and need for attention. — Sally Jenkins, courant.com, "Jenkins: Don’t blame Antonio Brown for putting himself first. No one else was going to.," 10 Sep. 2019 Conversely, favoring one style or group can unfairly exclude nonconformists from the historical picture. — Richard B. Woodward, WSJ, "‘This Land’ Review: Picturing America," 4 Sep. 2018 As nonconformists and dissenters drop out of the conversation, the deliberation becomes more circular and more extreme. — Noah Rothman, National Review, "Kevin Williamson’s Revolt against the Hivemind," 25 July 2019 For the rest of her life, Lock remained active among the English nonconformists, who later became known as Puritans. — Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, "The Hidden Life of a Forgotten Sixteenth-Century Female Poet," 5 Aug. 2019 Indeed, looting museums was one of the charges that the authorities leveled against Parajanov, a nonconformist who was persecuted and imprisoned on suspicions of homosexuality and became a cause célèbre among Western cinephiles. — New York Times, "In ‘The Color of Pomegranates,’ the Cinema of the Cryptic," 24 May 2018 In this regard, Mr. Caplan is quite the nonconformist. — James Taranto, WSJ, "School Is Expensive. Is It Worth It?," 13 Apr. 2018 Of her half-dozen siblings, Aimée was the wild child, an unapologetic rule breaker and inspiration to nonconformists everywhere. — Kate Siber, Outside Online, "The Bohemian Heiress Who Shattered 19th-Century Taboos," 24 Apr. 2018

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.