nonconformist
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
nahnkuhnfawrmistSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
nɑnkənˈfɔɹmɪst
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought
“Their rabidly nonconformist deportment has made them legendary.”
Not conforming to established customs, etc.
noun
Someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
Someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices.
A member of a church separated from the Church of England; a Protestant dissenter.
Loosely, a Christian who does not conform to the doctrines of an established church.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought
Used this way, nonconformist is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Their rabidly nonconformist deportment has made them legendary.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use nonconformist
- “Their rabidly nonconformist deportment has made them legendary.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: not conforming to some norm
Antonyms
Sense: someone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.