recalcitrant

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American Heritage Dictionary (2 definitions)

    –adjective
  1. Marked by stubborn resistance to and defiance of authority or guidance. See Synonyms at unruly.
  2. –noun
  3. A recalcitrant person.

Century Dictionary (1 definition)

  1. Refusing to submit; exhibiting repugnance or opposition; not submissive or compliant; refractory.

GNU Webster's 1913 (1 definition)

    –adjective
  1. Kicking back; recalcitrating; hence, showing repugnance or opposition; refractory.

View all » Examples

  • Some regulation is clearly needed, but if businesspeople remain recalcitrant, resisting all reform, we run the unnecessary risk that even the smallest detail of business life will be dependent upon federal regulation.
  • They remain recalcitrant to the end, determined still to keep everyone in the dark -- and I'm not just talking about the detainees.
  • But one theme that Chávez wove through the entire interview was the resurgence of the "transnational Right" -- or what he calls the recalcitrant right.
  • In the three Scandinavian countries — even in recalcitrant Norway — he was universally hailed as the greatest dramatist of the age.
  • However, here as elsewhere, he takes note of the abilities of gifted people to grasp issues that remain recalcitrant to others who are not so endowed.
 

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Pronunciations

/ (rĭ-kălˈsĭ-trənt)/
ahd pronounces "recalcitrant"
by American Heritage Dictionary

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Etymology

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Late Latin recalcitrāns, recalcitrant-, present participle of recalcitrāre, to be disobedient, from Latin, to deny access : re-, re- + calcitrāre, to kick (from calx, calc-, heel).

Century Dictionary

 

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Recalcitrant has been looked up 1,150 times, favorited 17 times, listed 167 times, commented on 7 times, and has a Scrabble score of 16.

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