deviants
Those who stray
Deviants are people who depart from accepted norms or standards, especially in behavior or beliefs.
The word carries judgment—society labels someone a deviant, implying they've strayed from what's proper or normal: The program aimed to rehabilitate sexual deviants.
In sociology, deviant is more neutral, describing anyone whose behavior differs from group expectations, whether criminal, eccentric, or merely unconventional.
Shunned, rejected person
- pariahRejected, shunned person
- misfitOne who doesn't fit in
- outsiderOne excluded from group
- black sheepDisreputable family member
reject · loner · eccentric · oddball · freak · leper · castaway · exile
Authority defier
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- dissenterOpponent of orthodoxy
- individualistOne who values autonomy
bohemian · contrarian · heretic · beatnik · renegade · radical · unorthodox · pioneer
Distant data point
- anomalyDeparture from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- exceptionDeviation from standard
- irregularityDeparture from standard
variation · divergence · abnormality · discrepancy · variance · atypical · skew · dispersion
Corrupt or distort
- criminalPerson who breaks laws
- offenderOne who breaks rules
- transgressorOne who violates rules
- lawbreakerOne who commits crimes
violator · perpetrator · wrongdoer · delinquent · reprobate · miscreant · predator · sociopath
One who revolts
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- anarchistOne opposing all governance
- mutineerSailor who revolts
insurrectionist · guerrilla · activist · agitator · protester · resistor · secessionist · subversive
outcast
Shunned, rejected person
black sheep · reject · loner · eccentric · oddball · freak · leper · castaway · exile · hermit
rebel
Authority defier
- maverickIndependent-minded rule-breaker
- iconoclastAttacker of cherished beliefs
- dissenterOpponent of orthodoxy
individualist · bohemian · contrarian · heretic · beatnik · renegade · radical · unorthodox · pioneer · avant-garde
outlier
Distant data point
- anomalyDeparture from the expected
- aberrationDeviation from the norm
- exceptionDeviation from standard
irregularity · variation · divergence · abnormality · discrepancy · variance · atypical · skew · dispersion · bell curve
pervert
Corrupt or distort
- criminalPerson who breaks laws
- offenderOne who breaks rules
- transgressorOne who violates rules
lawbreaker · violator · perpetrator · wrongdoer · delinquent · reprobate · miscreant · predator · sociopath · psychopath
insurgent
One who revolts
- revolutionarySeeking fundamental systemic change
- dissidentOpposer of established systems
- anarchistOne opposing all governance
mutineer · insurrectionist · guerrilla · activist · agitator · protester · resistor · secessionist · subversive · extremist
- outsidersoutcast, outsider, outcasts, pariah, misfit
- deviancedeviance, perversion, perversity, aberration, abnormality
- outcastsoutcast, pariah, pariahs, outcasts, outlaws
deviantsconformists
Those obeying social norms
conventionalists · traditionalists · squares · straight arrows · pillars of society
deviantssaints
Canonized religious figures
paragons · exemplars · role models · good people · innocents
- deviant behaviorNorm-violating actions
- sexual deviantOne with taboo desires