Definition

Noun: A person, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, who rejected conventional social values and mainstream culture, advocating for peace, love, and personal freedom, often associated with a bohemian lifestyle, psychedelic art, and opposition to the Vietnam War.

Usage

The term is used to describe a specific historical and cultural archetype. It is typically used as a countable noun.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She was a true flower child, always wearing beads and handing out daisies.
  • The festival was filled with flower children promoting messages of peace and harmony.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used historically to refer to participants in the 1960s counterculture, particularly the "hippie" movement.
• It can be used figuratively to describe someone with a persistently idealistic, peaceful, or non-materialistic outlook, even in modern contexts.
  • Even today, with his organic garden and simple living, he's a bit of a flower child at heart.

Variants and Related Words

• Hippie (noun): A member of a counterculture movement originating in the 1960s, sharing many characteristics with a flower child but sometimes with a broader or less specific connotation.
• Bohemian (noun/adjective): A person living an unconventional life, often involved in the arts. This is a broader, more timeless term.

Synonyms

• Hippie
• Free spirit
• Nonconformist

Antonyms

• Conformist
• Traditionalist
• Straight (slang, meaning conventional)

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Peace and love: The central slogan and philosophy associated with flower children.
  • His flower child philosophy was all about peace and love.

Noun

1. someone who rejects the established culture; advocates extreme liberalism in politics and lifestyle