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
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
What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?
—Ed Simon
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for individualist
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
What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?
—Ed Simon
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for individualist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for individualist
Noun
-
Then there was his creation of the ad hoc Department of Government Efficiency that fell under the leadership of maverick entrepreneur Elon Musk.—
Frank Miele,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Trump hadn’t hired a kooky, maverick academic who happened to agree with him on tariffs, as has often been suggested.—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The women in her stories feel profound, distinct uncertainty toward convention—less as iconoclasts than fierce individuals.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
26 Dec. 2025
-
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
-
Several characters, including a group of popular girls who finally invite the boys — admitted loners — to a party, look directly into the camera.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The young piano player finds his groove on the keyboards, going from a quiet loner to a particularly cool bandmate.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Individualist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/individualist. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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