Meanings
nonconformist1
plural nonconformists · alternative non-conformist
- A member of a church separated from the Church of England; a Protestant dissenter.First known use 17th c.
- Someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices.First known use 17th c.
Synonyms: free spirit
- A noctuid moth (Lithophane lamda).
comparative more nonconformist · superlative most nonconformist · alternative non-conformist
- Not conforming to established customs, etc.
One of the village's most notable sons was Thomas Grantham, a Baptist church leader born in 1634, who was persecuted and imprisoned in the struggle for nonconformist beliefs during the reign of Charles II.
1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 214, about Halton Holegate
Nonconformist2
plural Nonconformists
- ChristianityA member of a Protestant church which does not observe the doctrines of the established church, especially of the Church of England.
Near-synonyms: (all sometimes synonymous) Dissenter, recusant, Free Churchman; autem cackler (archaic cant)
Synonyms: Dissenter, recusant, Free Churchman, autem cackler
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices.
nounA member of a Protestant church which does not observe the doctrines of the established church, especially of the Church of England.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna Protestant in England who is not a member of the Church of England
adjectivenot conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought
adjectivenot conforming to established customs or doctrines especially in religion
nounsomeone who refuses to conform to established standards of conduct
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Germanic*ne
- Proto-Indo-European*ís?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
- Proto-Germanic*ainaz
- Proto-Germanic*nainaz
- Proto-West Germanic*nain
- Old Englishnān
- Middle Englishnon
- Old Englishnān
- Old Englishnān-
- Middle Englishnon-
- Englishnon-
- Englishconform
- Englishconformist
- Englishnonconformist
From non- + conformist.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дисидент, дисидентски
- дисидент (disident)someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- дисидентски (disidentski)not conforming to established customs etc
Catalan inconformista
- inconformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Chinese Mandarin 不循规蹈矩者, 不循规蹈矩的
- 不循规蹈矩者someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- 不循规蹈矩的not conforming to established customs etc
Czech nonkonformista
- nonkonformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Finnish toisinajattelija, epäsovinnainen
- toisinajattelijasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- epäsovinnainennot conforming to established customs etc
French anticonformiste, non-conformiste
- anticonformistesomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- non-conformistesomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- anticonformistenot conforming to established customs etc
German Nonkonformist, Nonkonformistin
- Nonkonformistsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- Nonkonformistinsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- nonkonformistischnot conforming to established customs etc
Greek αιρετικός, ετερίδοξος
- αιρετικός (airetikós)someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- ετερίδοξος (eterídoxos)someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Hungarian nonkonformista, nonkonformista
- nonkonformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- nonkonformistanot conforming to established customs etc
Italian anticonformista, nonconformistico
- anticonformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- nonconformisticonot conforming to established customs etc
- nonconformisticanot conforming to established customs etc
Polish nonkonformista
- nonkonformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Portuguese não-conformista
- não-conformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Romanian nonconformist, nonconformistă
- nonconformistsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- nonconformistăsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Russian нонконформи́ст, нонконформи́стка
- нонконформи́ст (nonkonformíst)someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- нонконформи́стка (nonkonformístka)someone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Spanish inconformista
- inconformistasomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
Swedish icke-konformist, nonkonformist
- icke-konformistsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- nonkonformistsomeone who does not conform to accepted beliefs, customs or practices
- frireligiösnot conforming to established customs etc
- icke-konformistisknot conforming to established customs etc
- nonkonformistisknot conforming to established customs etc
Cite this entry
nonconformist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonconformist
“nonconformist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonconformist. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nonconformist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonconformist.
Source: nonconformist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.