as in maverick
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
an individualist who steadfastly refuses to do what everyone else is doing
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Recent Examples of individualist
Like the show that set the trend, most of these stories are premised on land conflicts between rugged individualists and voracious capitalist vultures: two quintessential American archetypes.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
New York City is full of remorseless individualists who nonetheless stick to some codes very rigidly.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
Yet, historians have noted that his rhetoric and policies play into the individualist and patriotic characteristics associated with the beloved Western cowboy.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for individualist
Judy Berman, Time, 4 Dec. 2025
New York City is full of remorseless individualists who nonetheless stick to some codes very rigidly.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
Yet, historians have noted that his rhetoric and policies play into the individualist and patriotic characteristics associated with the beloved Western cowboy.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for individualist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for individualist
Noun
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An exhibition in Beijing delving into anonymity, a key code of the house stemming back to the founder Martin Margiela’s Greta Garbo-like ways — and the face-obscuring masks that have been a feature of the brand since the Belgian maverick arrived on the international fashion scene.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Miss Piggy the diva, Kermit the moral compass, Gonzo the maverick, etc.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
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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That is not a slight against Craig, whose ’90s-boy-band bangs and Foghorn Leghorn accent make private detective Benoit Blanc a delightful iconoclast.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Released on February 6, the video sees Swift playing a loner in the '90s who is (checks notes) in love with a rock.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
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Written and directed by Swift, the clip sees the singer fall in love with a fellow loner (Domhnall Gleeson) after spraying herself with a love potion fittingly called Opalite.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Individualist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/individualist. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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