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One who does not conform to an established church; especially, one who does not conform to the established church of England; a dissenter.

the Church of England, or to the Established Church, as distinguished from a dissenter or nonconformist.

religious worship; esp., such an assembly held privately, as in times of persecution, by Nonconformists or Dissenters in England, or by Covenanters in Scotland; -- often used opprobriously, as if those assembled were heretics or schismatics. The first Christians could never have had recourse to nocturnal or clandestin…

ces; esp., a book of directions for the conduct of worship; as, the Directory used by the nonconformists instead of the Prayer Book.

church; especially, one who disputes the authority or tenets of the Church of England; a nonconformist. Dissenters from the establishment of their several countries. Burke. Robert Brown is said to have the first formal dissenter. Shipley.

e just is blessed. Prov. x. 7. That ever-living man of memory, Henry the Fifth. Shak. The Nonconformists . . . have, as a body, always venerated her [Elizabeth's] memory. Macaulay.

One who refuses communion with the Church of England; a nonconformist. All that are recusants of holy rites. Holyday.

as, to scrape money together. The prelatical party complained that, to swell a number the nonconformists did not choose, but scrape, subscribers. Fuller.

m a church to which he has belonged; a seceder from an established church; a dissenter; a nonconformist; a schismatic; a sectary. Heavy fines on divines who should preach in any meeting of separatist . Macaulay.

One who affects singularity. [Obs.] A clownish singularist, or nonconformist to ordinary usage. Borrow.

A nonconformist. [Obs.]