FREE-SPIRITED Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

free-spirited

adjective

as in nontraditional

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of free-spirited Not just anyone could pull off the beachy, free-spirited sandals, but her fashion sensibility has always leaned towards the ethereal and romantic. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 20 Aug. 2026 Think earthy, free-spirited garb, Bohemian crafts and clothing, and the visual symbols of Wicca and other witchcraft traditions. — Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Aug. 2026 Per an IMDb synopsis, Newlyweds sees a free-spirited woman (Leoni) marry a reserved professor (Daly) after a brief, passionate romance. — Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026 Always free-spirited, Nelson happily retired to his home in Maui and made only occasional visits back to the mainland. — Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 For a more feminine take, embrace a cool free-spirited beauty. — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 What better way to honor the icon than by taking some fashion cues from her free-spirited, romantic aesthetic? — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026 Styled with a ruffled blouse, balloon pants will start to give off a more earthy, free-spirited feel. — Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 14 July 2026 Over the course of a few days, this bashful teen, always armed with her camcorder and far less free-spirited than her cousins, will be beset by her father’s feuding family. — Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for free-spirited

Adjective

Employers are missing a significant pool of talent by not including students from community colleges and those with certifications or nontraditional backgrounds.

— Michelle Sims, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit nontraditional, career path.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of nontraditional

Adjective

They’re made from a faux leather that, frankly, looks really expensive, and are available in 20 colors, including some more out-there prints.

— Kaelin Dodge, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026
Guitarist Adam Turay and trumpeter Ryan Easter both come from the jazzier side of the tracks, the former playing with Afro-R&B group the Narcotix, the latter with more out-there units like WRENS.

— Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026

Definition of out-there

Adjective

Within years, the iconoclastic comic was a weary and defeated man — broke, baggy-eyed, and prematurely old.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
But for the iconoclastic Coppola, a desire to work with an up-and-coming actor, who his friends Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese had discovered and was not yet a star, became the other key impetus to make the film.

— Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of iconoclastic

Adjective

This dogmatic approach to revolutionary citizenship led to the horrible treatment of any perceived as nonconformist, such as LGBTQ people, hippies or punks.

— Juan Carlos Albarran, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
In the end, Levine’s profile of the nonconformist genius reveals just how superb a dancer Cole was.

— R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Definition of nonconformist

Adjective

The design was by aviation legend Burt Rutan, known for his bold and often maverick creations.

— Jacopo Prisco, CNN, 27 Jan. 2023
But the true landmark was Pierre Balmain’s Vent Vert, created by maverick female perfumer Germaine Cellier (also the mastermind behind Robert Piguet’s showstopping Fracas) in 1947.

— Town & Country, Town & Country, 19 Dec. 2022

Definition of maverick

Adjective

Rita Flores, a former member of the protest art collective Pussy Riot, alleged in an interview on Monday that members of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) had recruited her to spy on dissident artists.

— News Desk, Artforum, 26 Aug. 2026
Projects must be led by LGBTQ+ directors and screenwriters, or by professionals whose dissident gender identities and expressions inform their creative perspectives.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of dissident

Adjective

That led to cycles of reform and renovation, as well as backlash, chiefly from cultural conservatives, who saw the adoption of western European habits and attitudes as abominable and even heretical.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
In the 14th century, Bibles in English became associated with John Wycliffe, a priest who criticized corruption in the Catholic Church, and whose views on Holy Communion the church had declared heretical.

— Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 30 June 2026

Definition of heretical

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free spirit

free-spirited

free spirits

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“Free-spirited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free-spirited. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of free-spirited

adjective

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