Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| индивидуали́ст | individualíst | masculine |
| индивидуали́стка | individualístka | feminine |
| нонконформи́ст | nonkonformíst | masculine |
| нонконформи́стка | nonkonformístka | feminine |
A maverick is a person who is unconventional or does not abide by rules. If you wish to describe someone as showing independence in their thoughts or actions, you can use the adjectives инакомы́слящий or свободомы́слящий.
Which one should you use?
The term индивидуали́ст focuses on a person's preference for independence. In contrast, нонконформи́ст focuses on a person's refusal to follow social or political norms and carries a stronger connotation of actively resisting or rejecting established standards.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form индивидуали́ст is used for a male maverick or when referring to a person of unspecified gender. The feminine form индивидуали́стка is used specifically when the maverick is a woman. Similarly, нонконформи́ст is the masculine form and нонконформи́стка is the feminine form.
How do you pronounce it?
individualíst
Did you know?
- In the early Soviet era, identifying as an индивидуали́ст was not just a personality trait but was framed as a 'bourgeois vice' and a betrayal of the state.
- Unlike the English 'maverick', which comes from livestock branding, the Russian нонконформи́ст is rooted in Latin philosophical traditions of social behavior.
- While 'maverick' is often a compliment in American English, calling someone an индивидуали́ст in Russian can subtly imply they are selfish or self-centered.
Examples in context
- Наш новый директор – неординарный человек, который всегда идет против течения.Our new director is an unconventional person who always goes against the tide.
- Она – самобытная личность, которая всегда идет своим путем.She is an original personality who always follows her own path.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maverick” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
