Meaning & use
bohemian
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Following a casual, artistic way of life that ignores many ordinary social rules and rewards.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a bohemian lifestyle.
Patterns
- a bohemian lifestyle
- be bohemian
They lived in a bohemian apartment full of paintings and old records.
Her bohemian style mixed vintage dresses with colorful scarves.
The neighborhood has a relaxed, bohemian feel.
nouncountable
A person, often an artist, writer, or musician, who lives in an unconventional way and cares little about money or status.
Grammar: Countable and often lowercase: a bohemian.
Patterns
- a bohemian
The poet was a true bohemian who lived in a tiny attic.
Many young bohemians gathered in the cafes of Paris.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to Bohemia, a historic region of the Czech Republic, or its people; usually capitalized.
Grammar: Capital B when it refers to the region: Bohemian glass.
Patterns
- Bohemian glass
The shop sells delicate Bohemian crystal.
He studied the medieval Bohemian kings.
Word forms
| plural | bohemians |
|---|
Common combinations
- bohemian lifestyle
- He gave up banking for a bohemian lifestyle.
- bohemian chic
- The shop is known for bohemian chic clothing.
- bohemian neighborhood
- They rented a flat in a bohemian neighborhood.
- bohemian spirit
- Her bohemian spirit led her to travel the world.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unconventional
- Unconventional is a general word for not following norms, while bohemian points to an artistic way of living.
- free-spirited
- Free-spirited describes a person's personality, whereas bohemian describes a whole lifestyle or look.
- alternative
- Alternative suggests rejecting the mainstream in culture or music, but not necessarily the artsy poverty of bohemian.
- nonconformist
- Nonconformist stresses rebelling against rules, while bohemian is more about artistic, relaxed habits.
Opposites
Word family
- bohemia noun
- a community of artists and writers
- bohemianism noun
- bohemian way of life
- Bohemia proper noun
- a historic region in the Czech Republic
- boho adjective
- informal short form, as in boho style
Commonly confused: bohemian or Bohemian?
bohemian vs Bohemian
Capital-B Bohemian refers to the region of Bohemia, while lowercase bohemian describes the lifestyle.
Practice
A painter who lives cheaply in an attic and ignores fashion could be described as ___.
Choose one answer.
Bohemian describes an artistic, unconventional lifestyle. Corporate, stuffy and traditional all suggest the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bohemian”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.