dropout / defector
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dropout
A person who deliberately withdraws from established social norms, working life, or a particular system in order to live an alternative life.
Als Aussteiger kaufte er einen alten Bauernhof und versucht nun, sich selbst zu versorgen.
As a dropout, he bought an old farm and is now trying to be self-sufficient.
defector
Someone who leaves a particular group, organization, or scene, for example a cult, a criminal gang, or an extremist movement.
Die Polizei bietet ein spezielles Programm für Aussteiger aus der Drogenszene an.
The police offer a special program for defectors from the drug scene.
dropout
In sports or competitions, a person who withdraws from a race or contest before it is finished.
Wegen eines technischen Defekts am Fahrrad gab es bei der Tour de France einen weiteren Aussteiger.
Because of a technical defect with his bicycle, there was another dropout in the Tour de France.
The word is made up of the verb 'aussteigen' (to get out / to drop out) and the ending '-er', which indicates a person. An 'Aussteiger' is therefore literally someone who 'gets out' of something or leaves it.
Er will aus seinem stressigen Job aussteigen und ein ruhigeres Leben führen.
He wants to get out of his stressful job and lead a quieter life.
Both the verb 'aussteigen' and the noun 'Aussteiger' are often used with the preposition 'aus' + dative to specify what the person is leaving.
Er ist ein bekannter Aussteiger aus der Finanzbranche.
He is a well-known dropout from the financial sector.
The context makes clear what kind of 'Aussteiger' is meant. If it is about an alternative lifestyle, meaning 1 is intended. If it is about criminal or extremist groups, meaning 2 is intended. In a sports context, meaning 3 is intended.
Als Aussteiger lebt er jetzt ohne Strom und fließendes Wasser in den Bergen.
As a dropout, he now lives in the mountains without electricity or running water.
The term 'Aussteiger' is often associated with the idea of rejecting the consumerism and pressure to perform of modern society. It describes people who seek a simpler, often nature-oriented and self-determined life.
In den 70er Jahren gab es eine große Bewegung von Aussteigern, die in Kommunen lebten.
In the 1970s, there was a large movement of dropouts who lived in communes.
rebel
Both words can refer to a person who does not want to live by the usual rules of society. The Rebell shows opposition to rules or authorities more actively and demonstratively, whereas the Aussteiger withdraws from established life or the established system. Rebell is appropriate for open resistance, while Aussteiger is more suitable for a deliberate withdrawal.
Der Aussteiger zieht sich aus dem Berufsleben zurück und führt ein alternatives Leben.
The dropout withdraws from working life and leads an alternative lifestyle.
Der Rebell protestiert demonstrativ gegen die Regeln seiner Gesellschaft.
The rebel openly protests against the rules of their society.
