alternative lifestyle
Nontraditional way living
Alternative lifestyle refers to ways of living that differ from conventional social norms—particularly regarding sexuality, relationships, or domestic arrangements.
The phrase gained currency in the late twentieth century as a euphemism for homosexuality: He's into an alternative lifestyle.
It now covers broader territory: polyamory, communal living, nomadic existence, or unconventional career paths.
The term can sound evasive or dated when applied to LGBTQ identities, as if requiring a euphemism.
More neutrally, it describes any deliberate departure from mainstream expectations: They quit their corporate jobs for an alternative lifestyle on a sailboat.
Sixties counterculture member
- punkRaw, fast rock genre
- gothMelancholic music subculture
- vanlifeResiding in a camper
- communeShared-living community
off-grid · polyamory · ecovillage · intentional community · tiny house · minimalism · homesteading · naturism
Departing from standard practice
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- free-spiritedUninhibited by social expectations
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
- bohemianArtistic nonconformist type
progressive · individualistic · nontraditional · offbeat · eccentric · radical · fringe · outsider
hippie
Sixties counterculture member
commune · off-grid · polyamory · ecovillage · intentional community · tiny house · minimalism · homesteading · naturism · veganism
unconventional
Departing from standard practice
- countercultureRejection of mainstream values
- free-spiritedUninhibited by social expectations
- unorthodoxContrary to accepted practice
bohemian · progressive · individualistic · nontraditional · offbeat · eccentric · radical · fringe · outsider · dropout
new age
Current era or period
- paganNon-mainstream religion follower
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- tantricOf Hindu mystical tradition
holistic · meditation · ayahuasca · mindfulness · yoga · mysticism · occult · animism · druidry · sufi
- Bohemiabohemian dress, boho chic, free spirits, nonconformists, counterculture
- rebellionrevolt, rebel, mutiny, insurgency, insurrection
- BeatniksJack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, On the Road, Howl
alternative lifestyletraditional lifestyle
Long-established cultural practices
conformity · suburban lifestyle · keeping up with the Joneses · fitting in · ordinary life
alternative lifestyletraditional values
Long-established cultural principles
conservatism · orthodoxy · conventionalism · traditionalism · heteronormativity
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