Maverick Meaning
/ˈmævəɹɪk/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjUnbranded.
adjShowing independence in thoughts or actions.
Sentence Examples
Tom's callsign is Maverick.
He has a maverick disregard for protocol.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The young politician was a ____ who refused to follow his party's rules.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young entrepreneur was a bit of a ____ who preferred to do things in his own unique way.
Word Origin & History
Named after Texan lawyer and politician Samuel Maverick (1803–1870), who refused to brand his cattle. For probable origin and meaning, see Maverick. The poker noun sense (“a queen and a jack as a starting hand in Texas hold ’em”) may be from the theme song of the US Western television series Maverick (1957–1962), which says of the eponymous protagonist that “[g]amblin’ is his game” and that he is “livin’ on jacks and queens”.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Occasionally some young men who have no cattle of their own will take part in these expeditions, or they will give their services by the year to receive a pro rata of all the maverick cattle that may be found. [Quoted from The Texas New Yorker, pages 110–111.]"
— 1875, “Investigating Commission of the Northern Frontier”, in Reports of the Committee of Investigation Sent in 1873 by the Mexican Government to the Frontier of Texas. […], New York, N.Y.: Baker & Godwin, printers, […], →OCLC, section V, pages 62–63:
"But I would rather have maverick cattle, they are more accustomed to range conditions. My cattle from the registered herd have not done too well."
— 1963, Harry T. Getty, The San Carlos Indian Cattle Industry (Anthropological Papers of the University of Arizona; no. 7), Tucson, Ariz.: University of Arizona Press, →OCLC, page 65:
"Attempts to regulate the distribution of maverick cattle throughout the 1880s affected particularly the access of cowboys to mavericks."
— 2016, Victoria Lamont, “Western Violence and the Limits of Sentimental Power”, in Westerns: A Women’s History, Lincoln, Neb.; London: University of Nebraska Press, →ISBN, page 40:
"A maverick person tends to be wild, unsettled, and irresponsible, often an outlaw not bound by the rules and mores of society."
— 2003, Leon Claire Metz, “Maverick”, in The Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, and Gunfighters, New York, N.Y.: Facts On File, →ISBN, page 170, column 2:
"John Maynard Keynes, the internationally renowned economist, was impressed by Alan [Turing]'s work, and his unorthodox style. […] It is quite likely that Keynes viewed Alan and his maverick attitude to maths research sympathetically."
— 2013, Jim Eldridge, “The Thinking Machine”, in Alan Turing (Real Lives), London: A. & C. Black, →ISBN, page 17:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The young politician was a ____ who refused to follow his party's rules.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young entrepreneur was a bit of a ____ who preferred to do things in his own unique way.