nonconformists

noun

plural of nonconformist
1
as in bohemians
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
2
as in dissenters
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nonconformists 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformists
  1. mavericks
  2. dissenters
  3. iconoclasts
  4. dissidents
Noun
  • Carl Anka Trent Alexander-Arnold’s England career is a fascinating case study in why team sports can prefer the orthodox to the mavericks.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 13 May 2026
  • The confluence at Black Mountain of émigré artists like Josef and Anni Albers with homegrown mavericks like John Cage and Buckminster Fuller (who constructed his first geodesic dome there) marked an early flowering of this mode of learning, which was still in fine health decades later.
    — Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 19 Apr. 2026
Definition of mavericks
Noun
  • But Barberena and Brody said the move this week by authorities went a step further, noting that those erased from the system were not just dissenters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • The issue of granting birthright citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants also concerned the dissenters.
    — Amanda Frost, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Definition of dissenters
Noun
  • 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, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • Tempo’s ascendence and corporate partnerships are indicative of a larger trend where well-heeled, corporate firms—from Robinhood to Stripe—are making their way into blockchain, traditionally the territory of anti-establishmentarians and iconoclasts.
    — Jack Kubinec, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of iconoclasts
Noun
  • When Platner arrived, the place seemed haunted not only by American misconduct but also by Saddam Hussein’s use of it to imprison and abuse political dissidents during his reign.
    — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
  • The organization Cubalex, which legally advises dissidents and reports human rights violations from outside of the country, filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf Monday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of dissidents

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nonconformist
nonconformists
nonconformities
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Cite this Entry

“Nonconformists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformists. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nonconformists

Nglish: Translation of nonconformists for Spanish Speakers

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