Definitions

nonconformity

[non-kuhn-fawr-mi-tee] / ˌnɒn kənˈfɔr mɪ ti /

NOUN

belief, behavior different from most

Synonyms

STRONG

bohemianism breach denial disaffection disagreement disapprobation disapproval discordance disobedience dissent eccentricity exception heresy heterodoxy iconoclasm insubordination lawlessness negation nonacceptance noncompliance objection opposition originality recalcitrance recusancy rejection strangeness unconventionality uniqueness unorthodoxy unruliness veto violation

WEAK

contumaciousness mutinousness nonagreement nonconsent recusance transgressiveness

Antonyms

STRONG

acceptance agreement allowance approval concurrence endorsement harmony normality obedience observance orthodoxy peace permission ratification sanction usualness

WEAK

compliance conformity

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

It’s based on the concepts of Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” and it’s about how The Taker cured his loneliness at his old school through nonconformity and inconsistency.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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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