In English history, a non-conformist is any member of a Protestant congregation not affiliated with the Church of England. See also dissenter.
The term has come to refer to any person who chooses not to conform to a set of beliefs or practices of a greater society.
If the issue is considered critical, such as loyalty to a nation or support for current laws, the non-conformist is often termed a "rebel" of a society and may be considered dangerous to maintaining social order. Unlike an anti-conformist, who chooses not to conform to society simply for the sake of not conforming (ironically resulting in the conformation of anti-conformists), non-conformists choose not to conform to society because they simply do not always agree with society.
See also: dissident