flower child

American  

[flou-er chahyld] / ˈflaʊ ər ˌtʃaɪld /

noun

plural

flower children

1. (in the 1960s and 1970s) a young person, especially a hippie, rejecting conventional society and advocating love, peace, and simple, idealistic values.

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Etymology

Origin of flower child

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70; from the conventional image of such people as carrying and distributing flowers

Example Sentences

Talking to Davis about herself feels both analytical and spiritual, as if a flower child went to therapy.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2022

Strong, best known as the feckless media heir of Succession, plays Jerry Rubin as a perpetually half-stoned flower child, a naïve Harpo to Hoffman’s smartass Groucho.

From Slate • Oct. 14, 2020

Some early models had a flower vase, typically mounted on the dashboard as the perfect flower child accessory.

From Washington Times • Sep. 19, 2018

The New Zealand native grew up as a flower child nursed on classic rock and protest songs; Filler strums her guitar and says, “Remember this one?” as she leads brief singalongs.

From Washington Post • Apr. 17, 2018

And it really, really didn’t help when my father pointed out that she had wanted to be a flower child, and so here was her chance.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt