nonconformist

American  

[non-kuhn-fawr-mist] / ˌnɒn kənˈfɔr mɪst /

noun

1. a person who refuses to conform, as to established customs, attitudes, or ideas.

   Synonyms:

   loner, individualist, dissident, dissenter

2. (often initial capital letter) a Protestant in England who is not a member of the Church of England; dissenter.

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Nonconformist ¹ British  

/ ˌnɒnkənˈfɔːmɪst /

noun

1. a member of a Protestant denomination that dissents from an Established Church, esp the Church of England

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting Nonconformists

nonconformist ² British  

/ ˌnɒnkənˈfɔːmɪst /

noun

1. a person who does not conform to generally accepted patterns of behaviour or thought

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adjective

1. of or characterized by behaviour that does not conform to generally accepted patterns

Other Word Forms

• Nonconformity noun
• nonconformism noun

Etymology

Origin of nonconformist

First recorded in 1610–20; non- + conformist

Example Sentences

Worse, in the context of today’s flyaway stock market, he is a principled, value-minded, dogmatic nonconformist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

It’s difficult to imagine a worse addition to this oil-and-water mix of high-minded nonconformist cranks and hard-toiling middle-class settlers than a capitalist sybarite.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2025

But Tyler, ever the nonconformist, released his eighth studio album at 06:00 EST on Monday, three days after the week's chart tracking began.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2024

A strong socialist bent in politics, nonconformist in religion, working class.

From Salon • May 27, 2024

I couldn’t imagine a less hospitable place for a nineteen-year-old nonconformist.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Related Words

• dissenter
• dissident
• free spirit
• individualist
• maverick