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When something is aberrant, it is unusual, not socially acceptable, or a departure from the norm.
If something is an anomaly, it is different from what is usual or expected; hence, it is highly noticeable.
An apostate has abandoned their religious faith, political party, or devotional cause.
If something goes awry, it does not happen in the way that was planned.
Bourgeois members of society are from the upper middle class and are typically conservative, traditional, and materialistic.
Decorous appearance or behavior is respectable, polite, and appropriate for a given occasion.
A dissident is someone who disagrees publicly with a government, especially in a country where this is not allowed.
An animal or person that is docile is not aggressive; rather, they are well-behaved, quiet, and easy to control.
Someone is being dogmatic when they express opinions in an assertive and often overly self-important manner.
If someone is eccentric, they behave in a strange and unusual way that is different from most people.
A foible is a small weakness or character flaw in a person that is considered somewhat unusual; that said, it is also viewed as unimportant and harmless.
A heretic is someone who doubts or acts in opposition to commonly or generally accepted beliefs.
Heterodox beliefs, ideas, or practices are different from accepted or official ones.
An iconoclast is someone who often attacks beliefs, ideas, or customs that are generally accepted by society.
Idiosyncratic tendencies, behavior, or habits are unusual and strange.
If you believe someone’s behavior exhibits idolatry, you think they blindly admire someone or something too much.
Something that is immutable is always the same and cannot be changed.
Something that is incongruous is strange when considered along with its group because it seems very different from the other things in its group.
A maverick individual does not follow general opinions of society as a whole; rather, they think for themself and often strike out on their own.
A mercurial person’s mind or mood changes often, quickly, and unpredictably.
A nonconformist is unwilling to believe in the same things other people do or act in a fashion that society sets as a standard.
A person or group is nonpartisan when it does not support the ideas of any particular political party or group.
A social norm is the standard, model, or rule by which people conduct themselves.
A pariah is a social outcast.
Someone has a parochial outlook when they are mostly concerned with narrow or limited issues that affect a small, local area or a very specific cause; they are also unconcerned with wider or more general issues.
To be politic in a decision is to be socially wise and diplomatic.
A radical solution to a problem goes to the heart or root of it; a radical solution is most often an extreme solution to the problem.
A recluse is someone who chooses to live alone and deliberately avoids other people.
A schism causes a group or organization to divide into two groups as a result of differences in their aims and beliefs.
Sedition is the act of encouraging people to disobey and oppose the government currently in power.
If you are staid, you are set in your ways; consequently, you are settled, serious, law-abiding, conservative, and traditional—and perhaps even a tad dull.
Something statutory, such as the power given to a governor or president, is created, established, and controlled by rules and laws; hence, it has the full force of the law behind it and must be followed.
A troglodyte is reclusive, severely lacking in social skills, and is out of step with current times.
An unorthodox opinion is unusual, not customary, and goes against established ways of thinking.
Something that is volatile can change easily and vary widely.
If you act in a wayward fashion, you are very headstrong, independent, disobedient, unpredictable, and practically unmanageable.
Noun
bohemian
boh-HEE-mee-uhn
Context
My unconventional great-aunt, who always questioned the ways of society, was an artist and freethinker—a real bohemian. She lived in a small, remote cooperative that gathered bohemians together who were unhappy with the rules of society in general. Her friends were all poets, writers, and musicians who lived a bohemian lifestyle free from the constraints of society.
Quiz:Try again!
Which person is a bohemian?
Yanko, who has created a business plan to sell his art that includes a unique brand for himself.
Abe, who thinks that communities should freely debate ideas and work together to solve problems.
Karl, who believes he should be able to lead the lifestyle he wishes to—not the one that society dictates.
A bohemian is someone who lives outside mainstream society, often embracing an unconventional lifestyle of self-expression, creativity, and rebellion against conventional rules and ways of society.
Freddy Mercury's Bohemian Rhapsody Not only was Freddy Mercury a bohemian even amongst rock stars, but he even wrote a song named Bohemian Rhapsody.
Examples
Jason and Johnny are presented as polar opposites: the well-heeled businessman who lives in a Los Angeles hilltop aerie versus the bohemian, who turns out to be a single dad and lives in a funky Venice canal district.
—
The Christian Science Monitor
Almost everyone in his [opera] company works multiple jobs—waiting tables, teaching music, writing for little publications. Their lives don't seem too different from the artsy bohemians in Puccini's opera.
—
NPR
Word Ingredients
Tribes of roving gypsies, who often lived outside of established societies, were thought to have come from the land of “Bohemia.”
origin: French
Knowing language of origin or etymology is not important; but is sometimes interesting enough to make the word memorable. Only such words have associated maps.
Word Constellation
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Related Words
aberrant ·
anomaly ·
apostate ·
awry ·
dissident ·
eccentric ·
foible ·
heretic ·
heterodox ·
iconoclast ·
idiosyncratic ·
incongruous ·
maverick+ ·
mercurial ·
nonconformist+ ·
nonpartisan ·
pariah ·
radical+ ·
recluse ·
schism ·
sedition ·
troglodyte ·
unorthodox+ ·
volatile ·
wayward+ ·
bourgeois ·
decorous ·
docile ·
dogmatic ·
idolatry ·
immutable ·
norm+ ·
parochial ·
politic ·
staid+ ·
statutory ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
bohemian
adj
→
not conventional
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
