Anticonformist

/ˌæntɪkənˈfɔrmɪst/ noun

Definition

A person who actively opposes or resists social conformity and established norms.

Etymology

Formed from 'anti-' (against) + 'conformist' (one who conforms). The prefix 'anti-' comes from Greek, while 'conform' derives from Latin 'conformare' (to shape alike). This word emerged in modern English to describe those who deliberately reject conventional behavior.

Kelly Says

Interestingly, the term 'anticonformist' is somewhat paradoxical—by explicitly identifying as against conformity, anticonformists can actually create their own rigid social groups with their own unwritten rules, making them conformists to non-conformity!

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