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
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Recent Examples of freethinkers
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
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
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Surrounded by a delightful cast of weirdos — with a scene-stealing, hilarious turn by Marc Maron as sleazy director Sam Sylvia — GLOW is a comedy match-up worth cheering for.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
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About watching a movie that isn’t trying to be great, but is trying to do something, anything, to entertain weirdos like you.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The crackpots are the mainstream.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The first of these—a cult favorite among writers, particularly youngish women writers—put Lemann on the map as a singular stylist, capable of crystalline insights into the miscreants and oddballs of the American South and great bursts of unrestrained sentiment.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Sun Belt is the only real exception, having now defined itself as FBS’ actual Southeastern conference, partly by losing its former oddballs like Idaho and New Mexico State.—
Jason Kirk,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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New York City is full of remorseless individualists who nonetheless stick to some codes very rigidly.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
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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
Noun
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The women in her stories feel profound, distinct uncertainty toward convention—less as iconoclasts than fierce individuals.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
26 Dec. 2025
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The show’s hosts, Charlotte Shane and Jo Livingstone, are two of our coolest literary iconoclasts.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Instead, think high-protein and filling breakfast filled with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, along with herbs and spices like ginger and turmeric (all of which are anti-inflammatory).—
Siya Bhambwani,
Vogue,
6 Apr. 2026
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To be fair, Dylan is also engaging in some territorial behaviors, like chuckling about Greg’s affinity for nuts and lightly putting a hand on his arm, so keep an eye on that space.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freethinkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freethinkers. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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