Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Same as
nonconformity .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The refusal to
conform to common standards, conventions, rules, traditions or laws. - noun a Protestant in England who is not a member of the Church of England; dissenter.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the practice of nonconformity
- noun a lack of orthodoxy in thoughts or beliefs
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word nonconformism.
Examples
-
Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first and most infamous director, "the United States was confronted with 'a new style in conspiracy--conspiracy that is extremely subtle and devious and hence difficult to understand... a conspiracy reflected by questionable moods and attitudes, by unrestrained individualism, by nonconformism in dress and speech, even by obscene language, rather than by formal membership in specific organizations.'"
John W. Whitehead: The FBI: Going Rogue John W. Whitehead 2011
-
On his return he moved to London to take a degree in sociology at the London School of Economics – "I admired its history of nonconformism, the way it said 'Fuck the critics' and honoured people such as HG Wells, Nelson Mandela and Wole Soyinka long before anyone else did."
A life in writing: Jack Higgins Interview by John Crace 2010
-
You're right, we should all be beret-wearing cineastes who love Francois Truffaut and are all about nonconformism.
More Clips From The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus | /Film 2009
-
Perhaps there are a few rare exceptions for e e cummings and a few other people who are trying to make a statement with their nonconformism, but they are quite rare.
-
He has just conformed to our conformist culture of nonconformism by purchasing an expensive toy that he has to assemble himself.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
-
One interesting thing about this conformist culture of nonconformism in the west is that, like the conformist culture of conformism in Chinese society, it is an arms race.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
-
Like Taiwan, my homeland has its own conformist culture, a conformist culture of nonconformism.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
-
In both cases, the conformist culture of conformism and the conformist culture of nonconformism, the ultimate drive is, of course, displays of fitness for mating.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
-
In every cool hobby, the arms race is constantly evolving new forms of conformist nonconformism that all must attempt, just as the conformist culture of conformism is constantly evolving new status tokens that all must acquire – like imported wines or western fashions.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
-
Of course in the presence of a beautiful woman I conformed to my conformist culture of nonconformism programming faster than you can blurt out evolutionary psychology: I told her I didn't know much about wine but I drink Riesling because I liked the taste, thus displaying my awesome grasp of the Authentic Experience.
Archive 2008-10-01 Michael Turton 2008
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.