Bohemian Meaning
/boʊˈhimi.ən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA person, especially an artist or writer, who lives an unconventional or nonconformist lifestyle.
adjUnconventional, especially in habit or dress.
Sentence Examples
Come with us to the Bohemian forests!
Tom lives a bohemian lifestyle in Boston.
Your outfit gives off such a bohemian vibe.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ lifestyle, filled with art and music, was a stark contrast to her corporate coworkers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She lived a ____ lifestyle, traveling the world and painting daily.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from French bohémien (“person from Bohemia”), from Bohême (“Bohemia”), equivalent to Bohemia + -an.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Burlington, where Mr. Twitchell grew up and where he now spends summers, was singled out by David Brooks in his wickedly funny “Bobos in Paradise” as a model Latte Town, a city that has perfectly reconciled the mercenary instincts of the bourgeoisie with the artistic spirit of the bohemians to create an upscale consumer culture."
— 2002 July 7, Patricia Cohen, “In Defense Of Our Wicked, Wicked Ways”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 Jan 2018:
"During 1940–1941, the few Hollywood bohemians that did appear received "harsher" depictions. The United States' preparations for and eventual entry into World War II figured prominently in this decline and change in the treatment of Hollywood bohemians."
— 2008, Brett L. Abrams, Hollywood Bohemians, McFarland, page 195:
"Whitman was, by no means, the "King of Bohemia"—that title went to Henry Clapp Jr., the founding editor of the Saturday Press—but the bohemians embraced and supported him at a crucial moment in his career."
— 2014, Joanna Levin, Edward Whitley, editors, Whitman among the Bohemians, University of Iowa Press, page xiv:
"Cowell's earlier, more bohemian years are not only the most interesting, they comprise the only part of his life for which one could reasonably attempt to do the kind of work that I have tried to do here."
— 2002, Michael Hicks, Henry Cowell, Bohemian, University of Illinois Press, page 4:
"Georgetown, a Jesuit university and a "hot big city school" (Mathews 2007:53): is popularly believed to be "hotter," wealthier, more bohemian, more liberal, and more laid back than its secular counterpart, GWU."
— 2014, Shabana Mir, Muslim American Women on Campus, University of North Carolina Press, page 18:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Her ____ lifestyle, filled with art and music, was a stark contrast to her corporate coworkers.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She lived a ____ lifestyle, traveling the world and painting daily.