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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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
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonconformists
Noun
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Even if no charges ultimately are filed, the attorneys contended in interviews that rooting out identities of dissenters is at the very least an intimidation tactic.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Their comments triggered a deluge of backlash from the media and fans alike; their songs were pulled from country radio stations; the band was jeered at during live appearances; and some dissenters even took to destroying their CDs.—
Jaeden Pinder,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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What once seemed like an agitator railing against the system has become a gatekeeper crushing dissidents under his thumb.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
29 May 2026
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That’s pushed some Chinese dissidents toward more unconventional escape routes, instead of travelling through neighboring countries such as Vietnam or Thailand, which have a mixed record on protecting Chinese dissidents.—
Yoonjung Seo,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Nonconformists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonconformists. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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