maverick
MAV-er-ik
/ˈmævərɪk/
An unorthodox or independent-minded person who refuses to follow city rules, political parties, or group customs.
Strongly positive or fierce connotation of bold self-reliance and stubborn independence.
The story behind the word. Samuel A. Maverick was a 19th-century Texas lawyer and rancher who uniquely refused to brand his calves. Unbranded cattle roaming the Texas ranges came to be called 'mavericks'. By the 1880s, the term expanded to describe any independent person who refused to wear another man's brand.
Word relationships
- individualist: Individualist is neutral and philosophical, whereas maverick implies bold, practical defiance.
- conformist: Conformist describes someone who strictly complies with accepted rules and group behaviors.
Commonly confused with
- rebel: Rebel opposes authority outright; maverick simply acts independently according to personal rules.
Collocations
- political maverick
- maverick director
- maverick scientist
- maverick spirit
Example sentences
- "As a political maverick, she frequently voted against her own party's legislative proposals." Political profile
Memory hook
MAVERICK cattle go UNBRANDED and free. Refusing to wear the group brand.
When not to use
Do not use for passive or quiet oddballs; a maverick actively breaks away from group consensus.
Fun facts
- Samuel Maverick didn't leave his cattle unbranded out of idealist animal rights—he simply didn't care enough about cattle ranching to bother branding them!
Related words
Explore more words
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.