free spirit

free spirit (plural free spirits)

1. One who is a nonconformist or who does not recognize the authority of others.
   • 1904, Jack London, chapter 26, in The Sea Wolf:

     But Lucifer was a free spirit. To serve was to suffocate.

   • 1959 Oct. 19, "Books: Rake's Progress," Time:

     Writing in the Victorian era, Scientist Ellis (Psychology of Sex) idolized Casanova as a free spirit, a man who had the courage to live life fully, and as a shining example of "adjustment"—for Casanova adapted himself so easily to his own desires.

   • 2011 July 27, Alex Williams, "What Your Beard Says About You," New York Times (retrieved 29 July 2011):

     To many bosses, a beard is a dangerous sign, like a neck tattoo or a pierced nose, that says, “I am a free spirit, not a team player.”

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