FREETHINKERS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

freethinkers

noun

plural of freethinker

as in weirdos

a person who forms his or her own opinions about important subjects (such as religion and politics) instead of accepting what other people say

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 freethinkers By the early 1990s, Eugene had earned itself a reputation as a beacon of progressive-minded irreverence, drawing a pungent mix of weirdos, iconoclasts, and freethinkers. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 These, um, freethinkers were unintentionally encouraged by the airport’s art. — Charlie Sosnick, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Dec. 2025 My mom, like many freethinkers of her generation, butted heads against anything that reinforced the status quo, and let us children grow like wild weeds into our own individuals. — Morgan Lockhart, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025 Doctors volunteered, but so did nurses, store owners, actors, academics, factory workers and freethinkers – even prisoners about to be executed. — Susan E. Lederer, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for freethinkers

Noun

Since breaking out in the tween-friendly Twilight saga twenty years ago, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have each transformed themselves into Hollywood’s most arthouse-friendly weirdos.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
Fewer teams, no travel ball weirdos, and kids that want to actually be there to learn and get better without losing a spot to some kid who’s parents sign them up to play the bare minimum to qualify for the LL tournaments.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of weirdos

Noun

O’Hara worked consistently across her 50-year career in both film and television, best known for playing beloved kooks and amiable wackos, though her range was boundless.

— Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
What so many of these talking heads have in common—legitimate experts, well-meaning journalists, and kooks alike—is how costly their recommendations are.

— CBS News, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026

Definition of kooks

Noun

No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.

— Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 18 June 2026

Definition of eccentrics

Noun

These sisters were not your average oddballs, especially as Herzog reimagines them.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of oddballs

Noun

The forty-niners are elemental to our identity as a nation of brave, rugged individualists.

— Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Based on actual events, Eden features a starry cast playing a disparate group of rugged individualists who all find themselves in the Galapagos in the early 20th century, each abandoning society in the hopes of creating a utopia.

— Will Leitch, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025

Definition of individualists

Noun

John Baldessari was one of the great iconoclasts of 20th century art.

— Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026
Primus’ Bay Area cult following snowballed into a deal with Virgin offshoot Caroline Records for their studio debut, 1990’s Frizzle Fry, which established Primus as irresistible genre iconoclasts.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of iconoclasts

Noun

The Central Valley is known as America’s salad bowl, for its vast production fruits, vegetables and nuts that stock refrigerators and kitchen tables across America.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Many of California’s Asian American leaders have come through that boot camp, which provides training on the nuts-and-bolts of organizing, media relations, and messaging.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of nuts

Browse Nearby Words

freethinker

freethinkers

freethinking

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Freethinkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freethinkers. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of freethinkers

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

magnanimous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes