Definition of "nonconformism" [nonconformism]

• 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. (noun)

Wiktionary.org : Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License

• "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.'""
• "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.""
• "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."