NONCONFORMIST Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

nonconformist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of nonconformist

as in dissident

deviating from commonly accepted beliefs or practices a cattle-ranching family that took some time in getting used to their daughter's nonconformist adoption of vegetarianism

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nonconformist

2 of 2

noun

ˌnän-kən-ˈfȯr-mist

as in maverick

a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs always the nonconformist, she insisted on wearing red on St. Patrick's Day and not green like everyone else

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dissenter

a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs a nonconformist who was excommunicated from her church for her teachings

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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 nonconformist

Adjective

Once ridiculed and dismissed for his nonconformist views on vaccines, nutrition, and exercise, Kennedy now leads a vast legion of followers and acolytes. — Will Carless, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026 As such, the city takes on its own distinctively sooty, nonconformist character. — Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026

Noun

At least Guillén still speaks his mind on the Sox’s pre- and postgame shows, so maybe there’s hope for nonconformists after all. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026 Unlike her sister Daphne, Eloise's character is a nonconformist regarding society's ideals of what a woman should be, and her outfits portray that. — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nonconformist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformist

Adjective

Those include bringing the Kurdish peshmerga security forces in northern Iraq under control of the central government’s military and expelling Iranian Kurdish dissident groups and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, that have bases in the region.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
In addition to sharing that expertise with Mexican cartels, the use of drones in Colombia has also become commonplace among FARC dissident groups.

— Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of dissident

Noun

Bill Kerby, the maverick screenwriter who wrote the first draft of the Bette Midler-starring rock drama The Rose and worked on The Last American Hero, The Gravy Train and Hooper as well, has died.

— Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
Home of the subversive and the sublime, the maverick and the madman, the inspired and the inspiring, the sage and the clown, and, most important, the brave.

— Tom Selleck, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of maverick

Noun

Apart from a few dissenters, most of our participants thought that China could, in fact, rely on its economic and technological engine to ride out these storms.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The Basij boosted its presence during the war, and hard-liners have held nightly rallies in Tehran and other cities, drumming up support and intimidating any possible dissenters.

— Lee Keath, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of dissenter

Adjective

From the start, Paul’s unconventional and volatile romantic relationships were central to the series.

— Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Nobody lives here permanently—only rotating teams of scientists, engineers, and unconventional travelers.

— Hana Al-Khodairi, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of unconventional

Noun

The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.

— Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.

— Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of eccentric

Noun

Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of renegade

Adjective

The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month.

— Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Board member Renee Paschall cast the lone dissenting vote on the final package.

— Elizabeth Sander, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Aug. 2022

Definition of dissenting

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“Nonconformist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformist. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nonconformist

adjective

noun

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