Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A native or an inhabitant of Bohemia, a crownland and kingdom of the Austrian empire.
- n. A follower of John Huss; a Hussite.
- n. A gipsy.
- n. A person, especially an artist or a literary man, who leads a free and often somewhat dissipated life, having little regard to what society he frequents, and despising conventionalities generally.
- n. The ancient tongue of Bohemia, a member of the Slavic branch of the Aryan family.
- Of or pertaining to Bohemia or its language.
- Of or pertaining to, or characteristic of, the so-called Bohemians; unconventional; free from social restraints: as, a Bohemian life.
- In ornithology, erratic; wandering; irregularly migratory; of unsettled habits.
- n. As employed by the French geologists, the later deposits of Silurian time, from the fine development of these strata in the Bohemian basin: equivalent to Upper Silurian or to Silurian in its restricted sense.
Wiktionary
- n. an unconventional or nonconformist artist or writer.
- adj. unconventional, especially in habit or dress.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Of or pertaining to Bohemia, or to the language of its ancient inhabitants or their descendants. See bohemian, n., 2.
- adj. Of or pertaining to a social gypsy or “Bohemian” (see Bohemian, n., 3); vagabond; unconventional; free and easy.
- n. A native of Bohemia.
- n. The language of the Czechs (the ancient inhabitants of Bohemia), the richest and most developed of the dialects of the Slavic family.
- n. A restless vagabond; -- originally, an idle stroller or gypsy (as in France) thought to have come from Bohemia; in later times often applied to an adventurer in art or literature, of irregular, unconventional habits, questionable tastes, or free morals.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life
- adj. of or relating to Bohemia or its language or people
- adj. unconventional in especially appearance and behavior
- n. a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)
- n. a native or inhabitant of Bohemia in the Czech Republic
Etymologies
- French bohémien, from Bohême, Bohemia (from the unconventional lifestyle of Gypsies, erroneously supposed to have come from there).
Examples
“The word "bohemian" actually means a "socially unconventional person, especially a writer or artist", and watching the film, you recognize swiftly that this descriptor truly applies to most of the Carnegie studio residents profiled in the film; there are no household names to be found.”
The Huffington Post: John Farr: A Sour Note at Carnegie Hall Few Heard, Coming From Above
“Butterflies Are Not Free, burst with passionate songwriting in the style of what he calls "bohemian noir.”
“To this day the English word "bohemian" has a similar meaning.”
“Collier's book is the story of a young man trying to find love and success in bohemian London in the 1920s.”
“And the king is also a supernatural figure associated with rulership, madness, the fine and practical arts, and a certain bohemian dabbling in the unknown and unusual.”
October « 2009 « Haikasoru: Space Opera. Dark Fantasy. Hard Science.
“The surrounding community is home to a large indigenous population but also a large mestizo population and those communities are interspersed with a community of artists and foreign residents who lend the barrio a certain bohemian atmosphere.”
“Raised in Northern California by parents she described as "bohemian," Ms. Phillips began drawing fashion sketches when she was a kid.”
“Similarly, Eileen Ewing, who had been moving in bohemian circles since 1962, became acquainted with Coyote through his work with the Mime Troupe, and moved in with him sometime prior to mid-June 1967.66”
Manhood in the Age of Aquarius: Masculinity in Two Countercultural Communities, 196583
“Does it feel odd when her family is described as bohemian?”
“I tend to associate the word bohemian as living against popular conventions and seeking an alternative way of life, not fronting up to the corporate checkout demanding the latest fad at absurdly inflated prices.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘bohemian’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Dramatic Nouns
Nouns to be used as descriptions while writing stories
night owl, early bird, hedonist, ascetic, derelict, explorer, radical, pity friend, cupid, truant, caretaker, guardian and 120 more...
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#faveword
Words chosen as favorites for the Twitter hashtag #faveword.
autumnal, grotto, chiaroscuro, sfumato, homunculus, zing, zest, effervescent, bewitch, avuncular, susurrus, Styrofoam and 205 more...
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I speak Warhol
Words that make me think of Andy Warhol, for whatever reason.
pop, gee, factory, superstar, screen test, silver, silkscreen, Sleep, soup, Marilyn Monroe, speed, voyeur and 23 more...
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THE WAY WE DRESS
These Vocabulary will learn adjectives that describe fashion choices and personal style in clothes.
chic, classic, conservative, elegant, fashionable, flashy, formal, frumpy, functional, funky, quirky, retro and 10 more...

BrainyBabe Love, the most tactless, the most bohemian of gods, had appeared just when he was not wanted, and smitten Scales boisterously between the shoulder-blades.
-- ''Yashima, or, The Gorgeous West'' by R T Sherwood, 1931. Dec 23, 2008
reesetee A sort of lower-case bohemian vs. upper-case Bohemian, yes? Dec 1, 2007
sionnach I think it can refer to either - both your Mimi-Rodolfo, RENT types living in a garret, or denizens of the Czech republic.
So Tchaikovsky might have been classified as Bohemian, based on his profession and lifestyle, but Dvorak would be classified as Bohemian based on his place of birth. Nov 30, 2007
bilby This is why we call it WeirdNET: the definition that appears 'automatically' is often a bit wacky.
Bohemia was certainly a region, roughly equating to modern Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Nov 30, 2007
singlepayernow i thought it referred to a person of the arts; a bohemian artist in music or visuals or plays; or at least a style of art; so it refers to a region then? Nov 30, 2007