Meaning & use
non confirming
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounreligionformal
not following the official rules or practices of an established church.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a non-conforming church; it is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- non-conforming church
- non-conforming minister
- non-conforming tradition
The non-conforming church attracted many followers who wanted simpler services.
He came from a non-conforming family that did not attend the Church of England.
Non-conforming groups were sometimes treated with suspicion in the past.
adjectivebefore a nounformal
not behaving in the way that is expected or accepted by most people.
Grammar: Used before a noun: non-conforming behavior; for people, nonconformist is more common.
Patterns
- non-conforming behavior
- non-conforming attitude
- non-conforming lifestyle
Her non-conforming attitude made her popular with students but not with the head teacher.
The artist led a non-conforming lifestyle that shocked his neighbors.
Common combinations
- non-conforming church
- The non-conforming church was built in the nineteenth century.
- non-conforming behavior
- The school has strict rules about non-conforming behavior.
- non-conforming minister
- A non-conforming minister led the small congregation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nonconformist
- More common for people and often a noun; non-conforming is usually an adjective before a noun.
- dissenting
- Dissenting means openly disagreeing with an official opinion; non-conforming is broader and can mean simply not following accepted ways.
- unorthodox
- Unorthodox means not following traditional or usual beliefs, often in a positive or surprising way; non-conforming is more neutral.
Opposites
Word family
- conform verb
- To behave according to accepted rules or standards.
- conformity noun
- Behavior that follows accepted rules or standards.
- nonconformist noun
- A person who does not follow accepted beliefs or practices.
Commonly confused: non confirming or non-confirmed?
non confirming vs non-confirmed
Non-confirmed means not yet officially confirmed, as in a non-confirmed booking. Non-conforming means not following rules or customs.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
Non-conforming is an adjective used before a noun, so it describes the church, not the person. Option B uses it correctly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non confirming”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.