maverick
An unorthodox or independent-minded person; a person who refuses to follow the customs or rules of a group.
A maverick is a positive or neutral term for a rebel. They do not necessarily want to destroy the system; they simply choose to operate outside of standard conventions because they think differently.
Word relationships
- individualist: An individualist simply focuses on personal independence, while a maverick actively breaks away from the established rules of a specific group.
- nonconformist: A nonconformist refuses to follow social norms, whereas a maverick often operates within a professional field (like politics or science) but ignores its standard methods.
- conformist: A conformist is a person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices.
- traditionalist: A traditionalist is a person who adheres to long-established customs and values.
Commonly confused with
- misfit: A misfit is someone who doesn't fit in and often suffers for it, while a maverick is often successful and respected for their independence.
Collocations
- maverick politician
- maverick detective
- maverick style
- corporate maverick
Example sentences
- "He was a political maverick who refused to run with the herd." A description of a famous political figure known for breaking party lines.
Memory hook
Think of 'Maverick' from the movie Top Gun—a pilot who flies by his own rules and refuses to follow standard military protocols. A maverick refuses to be branded.
When not to use
Do not use maverick to describe someone who is committing crimes or violent acts. A maverick is an independent thinker, not a criminal.
Fun facts
- Samuel Maverick didn't brand his cattle because he didn't want to cause them pain—or, as some historians suggest, because it allowed him to claim any unbranded cattle on the range as his own!
Related words
Explore more words
unorthodox, unconventional, nonconformist, renegade, eccentric, iconoclastic
Also appears in
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