nonconformity

[ non-kuhn-fawr-mi-tee ]

noun

1. failure or refusal to conform, as with established customs, attitudes, or ideas.
2. lack of conformity or agreement.
3. (often initial capital letter) refusal to conform to the Church of England.
4. Geology. an unconformity that separates crystalline rocks, either igneous or metamorphic, from sedimentary rocks.

nonconformity

/ ˌnɒnkənˈfɔːmɪtɪ /

noun

1. failure or refusal to conform
2. absence of agreement or harmony

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonconformity¹

First recorded in 1610–20; non- + conformity

Example Sentences

The filmmakers were aiming to call out the guardians of rigidity who see nonconformity as arrogance, regardless of whether it is or not.

From New York Times

But she stood apart in her adamant nonconformity.

From New York Times

For the target, as “Fellow Travelers” intuits, isn’t queerness, or racial equality, or anti-capitalism per se, but nonconformity of any sort, which power seeks to stamp out for its own preservation.

From Los Angeles Times

Asked about controversial decisions by some school districts that would require parents to be informed if their child showed signs of gender nonconformity, Garvey said it was a parental rights issue.

From Los Angeles Times

The district’s new policy, Stoller said, has left students in more tenuous situations in grave fear of being outed for gender nonconformity.

From Los Angeles Times