nonconformity
Americannoun
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failure or refusal to conform, as with established customs, attitudes, or ideas.
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lack of conformity or agreement.
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(often initial capital letter) refusal to conform to the Church of England.
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Geology. an unconformity that separates crystalline rocks, either igneous or metamorphic, from sedimentary rocks.
noun
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failure or refusal to conform
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absence of agreement or harmony
Etymology
Origin of nonconformity
First recorded in 1610–20; non- + conformity
Explanation
If a fireman came to work in a police outfit or clown suit, that would be a clear case of nonconformity. Where there's nonconformity, there's difference. When everyone is acting or dressing exactly the same, there's conformity, not nonconformity. Nonconformity means that someone is doing things differently from the norm. People in authority tend to dislike nonconformity, because it makes people harder to control. Someone who demonstrates nonconformity most of the time is a nonconformist. Too much nonconformity can create chaos, but without a little nonconformity, life would be pretty boring.
Vocabulary lists containing nonconformity
100 SAT Words Beginning with "N"
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1
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This Week In Culture, July 18–24, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What do you make of the scene from “Encounters at the End of the World” going viral, with people using the image of a penguin walking away from its colony as a symbol of nonconformity?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
These included books like Uncle Bobby’s Wedding and My Rainbow—stories that portray same-sex couples, gender nonconformity, and affirming representations of queer families.
From Slate • Apr. 23, 2025
His fictional character, a hyperactive, bow-tied man-child, provided subversive messages about nonconformity in films such as “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and his classic Saturday morning TV show, “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025
The dark orange signifies gender nonconformity and independence; light orange, community; white, unique relationships to womanhood; pink, serenity and peace; dusty pink, love and sex; and dark rose, femininity.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 23, 2023
Odd values—unthinking school spirit, proms, jockhood—are exalted, while the best values—free thinking, nonconformity, curiosity—are ridiculed.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
