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Maverick vs Wayward - What's the difference?

maverick | wayward |

As adjectives the difference between maverick and wayward

is that maverick is showing independence in thoughts or actions while wayward is given to wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray.

As a noun maverick

is an unbranded range animal.

maverick

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Showing independence in thoughts or actions.
    • He made a maverick decision.
    He is a maverick person.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An unbranded range animal.
  • * Around 1900 , O Henry,
    • Long Bill was a graduate of the camp and trail. Luck and thrift, a cool head, and a telescopic eye for mavericks had raised him from cowboy to be a cowman.
  • One who does not abide by rules.
  • One who creates or uses unconventional and/or controversial ideas or practices.
    • Florence Nightingale would have been perceived as a maverick during her early career, because she was prioritizing hygiene when everybody else involved in healthcare was focused on other things, such as surgery and pills.'' (Source: Edzard Ernst and Simon Singh, ''Trick or Treatment , 2008, p. 36-37.)
  • (poker slang) A queen and a jack as a starting hand in

    • Synonyms

    * (one who does not abide by rules) individualist, lone gunman, nonconformist, rebel

    See also

    *

    References

    * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523 English eponyms

    wayward

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • given to wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray
  • obstinate, contrary and unpredictable
  • (sports) not on target
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=September 2 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Bulgaria 0-3 England , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Bulgaria's only attacking weapon was the wayward shooting of Martin Petrov, whereas England's attacking options were awash with movement in the shape of Rooney, Young and Walcott.}}