maverick

American  

[mav-er-ik, mav-rik] / ˈmæv ər ɪk, ˈmæv rɪk /

noun

1. Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, especially an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.

2. 1. a lone dissenter, such as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from their peers.

      His unusual techniques made him a maverick of modern dance.

   2. a person pursuing rebellious, even potentially disruptive, policies or ideas.

      You can't muzzle a maverick.

3. Maverick, an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 miles (24 km).

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adjective

1. unorthodox, unconventional, or nonconformist.

   She had a reputation as a maverick fiscal conservative willing to raise taxes.

maverick British  

/ ˈmævərɪk /

noun

1. (in US and Canadian cattle-raising regions) an unbranded animal, esp a stray calf

2. 1. a person of independent or unorthodox views

   2. ( as modifier )

      a maverick politician

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Pop Culture

—Dallas Mavericks: American professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). — Maverick : popular American TV series (1957–62) set in the Wild West that inspired a film of the same name (1994). —Maverick: Nickname and call sign of ace fighter pilot, played by Tom Cruise, in the film Top Gun (1986). —Ford Maverick: Stylish, youthfully designed mid-size car made in the late 1960s and ‘70s in North America and Brazil.

Etymology

Origin of maverick

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; named after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded

Explanation

A maverick is a rebel, someone who shows a lot of independence. A maverick on a motorcycle might blaze her own trail, traveling around the country and earning money by performing in rodeos. Samuel A. Maverick owned a lot of cattle, and he let them roam around Texas without a brand, or identification mark, seared into their skins. Samuel was a maverick for going against the common practice of tracking his animals, and his last name became part of the English language as both an adjective and a noun in the 19th century. Someone who acts very independently is a maverick, and individual actions that stand out are maverick, as in "her maverick jumping style on the ice was both wild and delicate."

Example Sentences

His unfiltered comments are part of his self-styled image as a maverick, which found traction in a nation where corruption, red tape and institutional dysfunction impact people's lives at every level.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

It recounted, “In his later years, Peter enjoyed being a maverick and the center of controversy.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

In reality, Ms. Allen argues, Betjeman was a maverick.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

He faces competition from fellow rap maverick Tyler, The Creator with his wildly inventive Chromakopia; and reunited hip-hop duo Clipse, whose Let God Sort Em Out is their first release since 2009.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

Maybe it was because Baba had been such an unusual Afghan father, a liberal who had lived by his own rules, a maverick who had disregarded or embraced societal customs as he had seen fit.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini