'nonconformity' originates from the prefix 'non-' meaning 'not' and the word 'conformity', which comes from Latin 'conformare', meaning 'to shape or form'.

'conformare' transformed into the Old French word 'conformer', and eventually became the modern English word 'conformity'. The prefix 'non-' was added to denote the opposite.

Initially, it meant 'not conforming to religious practices', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'not conforming to societal norms'.